Wing of Mysterious Play
by Karin-sama
Summary: Trowa and Heero have crashed on a strange new planet. . .and they want Trowa's circus partner to be their priestess?
1. The Gundam Pilot

Wing of Mysterious Play  
by: Karin-sama  
for: Kelly-chan  
  
Disclaimer: Otay, so none of the Gundam Wing characters used in this fic belong to me. *sigh* all right, so none of the Fushigi Yugi characters do either. But Ayden is mine, sort of. She is based on my little sister, who is just cute. ^_~  
  
Summary and Notes: I tried to stick close to both of the series' original plots, making it easier for myself. Mick was Ayden's original partner who died previous to this story due to a long illness. He was her adopted father in a way. I tried to make Ayden as little like Miaka as possible. . .for obvious reasons. . .so don't be surprised if she actually does something useful! But she's not a Mary Sue either. . .or at least I tried not to make her so.  
  
Part 1: The Gundam Pilot  
  
Though the costume she put on was of the brightest green and blue, covered in glittery sequins, her mood was somber. Truly, she had done this so many times it should be completely routine, but all of her performances had been during the day. Traditionally, the night shows were done by Mick since she was new to the profession and could easily make a mistake during a night show. So many things could interfere with sight and thereby interfere with aim. She looked at herself intently as she slipped her hair into a glittery ponytail and applied her makeup. If she was going to do this she had to be completely calm, placing all nervousness away and all memories of Mick as well. He had been dead for a month now. Besides, Ayden, she told herself, it was you who told the ringmaster you were ready for this anyway. Taking a deep breath she smiled at the reflection in the mirror her famous stage smile. She would be fine, that was certain, but who would be chosen as her target? She and Mick had been a team, using each other, but now that he was gone it was just her. Oh well, she was sure the manager had taken care of it. The only real problem would be if that person could trust her enough at first glance to hold perfectly still. Giving herself one final lookover she shut off the light and stepped out into the night air in search of Joshua, the ringmaster.  
  
The fierce roar of one of the lions turned her course a bit. Lions didn't do that for no reason at all. A boy of her age was standing in front of the cage, reaching his hand through the bars. He was a good looking boy, from what she could tell, slender and tall. His hair was brown, cut short with the bangs falling in the eye that was on her side. She was just stepping forward to warn him when the lion came to rub affectionately against the boy's outstretched fingers. Shocked, she gasped before she knew what she was doing Calmly, the mysterious boy turned to look at her.  
  
"How did you do that?" Was all she could say, pointing to the cage.  
  
"All beasts will turn tame when one has no fear," he answered in the toneless voice of someone who is unused to speech. She was about to ask his name, but the ringmaster interrupted her question.  
  
"Ayden," he hailed her, coming to join them. "I was looking for you, but I see you have found him on your own anyway."  
  
"Indeed, sir, but who is he?"  
  
"Why, your new partner of course. He's tall enough for Mick's old costume wouldn't you say?" A sudden memory choked her as she forced herself to study the boy. The only thing she could do was nod. "Splendid. Get him ready then." With a wave, he was off to see to other business that needed attention before the show. It was only after he was gone that she realized she still did not know her own partner's name.   
  
"Come on then," she whispered when she could, gesturing for him to follow her. He stared at her with his intense eyes before moving to join her.  
  
"By the way," she said only to break the silence. They were a team now, and if they were to trust each other there couldn't be these tense moments between them. "He never mentioned your name."  
  
"I don't have a name. Call me Nanashi if you like." For a second she started to laugh until she realized that he was being deadly serious. She cut her laugh short covering it with a cough.  
  
"Well, I don't need a real name but you must have some name. If anything you need one for circus purposes."  
  
"Trowa," he said slowly. "Trowa Barton." She nodded.   
  
"That will do nicely." She allowed him into her trailer, switching the light on with a practiced hand as she entered behind him. They spent another awkward minute as she rummaged for Mick's costume. It matched hers in color, but of course the style was different. A blue and white checked shirt that tucked into green clown pants. The boy slipped off his shirt in the dim lamplight, revealing pale skin marred by a couple scars. Ayden was about to ask about them, but decided not to at the last second. She didn't want to ruin this type of silence. Trowa did her the great honor of folding his black turtleneck before putting on the checkered one. She stood motionless, as if afraid that he would remember she was still there by moving and deprive her of admiring his form. If it weren't for the scars, he would be perfect in every physical detail. Mysterious boy, she thought as she studied him. He didn't seem to mind her staring, or if he did he made a good show of pretending that it didn't bother him. He pulled the yellow suspender straps over his shoulders, bending over almost immediately to slide into the pointed soft yellow shoes. He brushed the costume down twice, then oddly reached out his hand to her. She looked at it stupidly for a moment, wondering why he would do such a thing. Taking a step closer, she brought her hand out to take his, thinking that was what he wanted. Sharply, he threw his hand to his side turning from her.  
  
"What?" She asked him, her hand still stretched out.  
  
"The gloves?" She looked down at her hands. She was holding the white gloves with the flared yellow cuffs that went with his costume. That was what he had been reaching for. Certain that her face was scarlet, she turned her gaze down and handed him the gloves. He snatched them as if he was afraid the touch of her fingers would burn him somehow. Even though she couldn't see it, she knew that he was giving her a puzzled look as he tugged the gloves into place. "There," he muttered looking himself over, and the word brought her courage back to her enough to look him over herself. If anyone could look good in a clown costume, it was Trowa Barton, she said to herself as she forced her breathing to remain calm.  
  
"One more thing," she said, getting oddly excited about the mystery of it all. He tensed when she touched his shoulder on the way past to her dressing table, but the contact was enough for her. Propped against the lamp was Mick's mask, or rather, the half mask that he wore during all his performances whether he was throwing or being thrown at. The face gave her its half smile as she picked it up with gentle fingers. "Wear this," she handed it to him as if it were part of a sacred ritual. "So they will never know you are afraid."  
  
"Perhaps you should be the one to wear it then." He raised an eyebrow at her trembling hand. To hide it she sweeped her arm upward to pat her ponytail.  
  
"Can't," she said in a voice that was strong despite what this boy was putting her through without even seeming to realize it. "It's not my costume. It. . .it belongs to you now." As if searching for some important meaning, Trowa stared into the mask for a long moment before fastening it into place. Then he looked at her, really looked at her, his eyes boring deep into her soul and beyond. The effect was eerie, but she found that she couldn't turn away. His eyes were green she finally noticed, but it was behind those eyes that was what was scaring her. Scaring her? Yes, she was terrified, and her hands were trembling besides.   
  
"Don't look at me like that, especially during a performance," she warned him. There was no way on this earth that she would be able to throw knives at his head if he was looking at her that way. He muttered something that seemed to be an apology, but she couldn't tell, but at least he looked away. She was just wondering what to say next, and not having much success, when the ringmaster knocked on her door and peeped his head in.  
  
"Oh, fabulous!" He cried when he saw Trowa, who gave his boss a dramatic bow for the full effect. "Absolutely fabulous! And don't you two look wonderful together as well." He nodded several times as the new team looked at each other. "You ready for this Ayden?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"How about you boy?" Trowa nodded as if answering the gravest question he had ever been asked. Not that it was surprising that he answered that way. Everything he did was so serious. He made the clown outfit seem serious for crying out loud.  
  
"Fabulous! Come on then." The elder man grabbed Ayden's hand in his excitement of actually having a night performance with a blademaster again and dragged her out of the trailer with Trowa following behind. They were led to the enormous tent lit with many spotlights, and that was where they were left as the ringmaster stepped out to greet his audience.  
  
"Now, don't be nervous," Ayden said as she twisted her own gloves. He looked at her hands before raising an eyebrow. "I suppose you don't get nervous though do you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"No, of course not. No one gets nervous except me do they?" She bit her lip, twisting her gloves ever tighter, not really expecting an answer. She could feel him looking at her, probably wondering if she was going to kill him with her first toss.  
  
"Ayden?" It took her a second to realize it was Trowa talking to her. "I think we're in this bit aren't we?"   
  
"So we are. All we need is our horse." It didn't take long to find him. They had named him Dundee as a joke, though it wasn't funny anymore. He was a beautiful Arabian black gelding decked out in their blue and green. "We ride him together."  
  
"I noticed." Of course he had. He noticed everything. He probably could see every paint knick in their carousel, every rust spot in the animal cages. He saw what she never even paid attention to, she was sure. You may as well stop asking him questions or giving him suggestions, she told herself as she watched him leap into the double saddle, he knows everything. Or at least he seemed to. Holding the sequined reins, he leaned down to grab her by the waist and pull her up to sit in front of him. He tensed as she settled against him, but she ignored it. He would have to get used to it eventually. Odd that he didn't seem to care if she threw knives at his head, yet he couldn't relax if she was near him. For the hundredth time since she had met him she thought to herself just how strange he was.  
  
This was the part of the show that she liked best. The night was fresh and the crowd eager to see their dreams come true in front of them. Before they rode out behind the trapeze artists and jugglers, Ayden elbowed her partner.  
  
"Smile," she hissed through her own grinning jaws, bringing up her arm to wave to the crowd. As they trotted through the three rings, Ayden picked out the girls in the audience who looked back at her with admiration. The ones who would go to sleep that night after telling their parents that when they grew up they wanted to be just like her. She always made an effort to give each of them a special smile and an enthusiastic wave all their own. As she was waving at a particularly vibrant youth in the second row, Trowa bent his head down so it rested over her shoulder and waved to the girl as well, blowing her a kiss as they went around the circle. She turned to flash him a smile of encouragement.  
  
"That's it, Trowa." Surprisingly, he flushed and sat up again, finishing the parade like a soldier at attention. Although he lifted her down from the saddle like the gentleman he was, she could tell he felt humiliated by the action. He certainly was strange, or maybe he was just very shy. She didn't have time to ponder his mysteries, though. She was going to have to throw knives at him in four acts, and she wanted him calm and prepared.  
  
"Have you ever done this before?" She questioned him after he had handed Dundee's reins over to a hired circus hand.  
  
"No." She pursed her lips, wondering why he'd been taken on if he didn't even know what he was doing.  
  
"Okay, I'll start teaching you to throw at targets tomorrow then." She thought she saw him smirk, but decided to dismiss it as a shadow. "For tonight, be a little dramatic. I'm going to fasten you to a target. All you have to do is hold perfectly still no matter how close I hit. Can you do that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I release you after my bow. You bow then take my hand and we bow together. Not hard."  
  
"Understood." He sounded like he was accepting orders for an assassination.  
  
"We'll work out a more elaborate choreography a bit later when we're more comfortable. Are you nervous?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Of course not. I would be." He stroked his fingers across her cheek, bringing her eyes up from her contemplation of the trampled grass.  
  
"Come on," he offered his arm as escort like she was wearing evening finery instead of gaudy circus garb. "We'd better be ready." Lightly resting her fingertips on his arm so she wouldn't make him uncomfortable, she allowed him to lead her to the enormous main tent and the cheering.  
  
They stood together watching the horse trainer, and then a clown act for comic relief before the ringmaster came forward to introduce them.  
  
"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I have a most splendid act prepared for your enjoyment. You will stare in shocked wonder as the lady Ayden. ." she stepped out and a spotlight flashed, seeming to set every sequin in her entire costume gleaming brilliantly. Placing one hand on her hip, she raised the other high for dramatic effect. "By using her incredible talents and hawk eye aim will throw twelve, and you may count them, razor sharp daggers at a target. Not just any target, ladies and gentlemen, but one of breathing flesh and blood. May I introduce you to the brave Trowa Barton." The crowd erupted into applause as Trowa stepped out to join Ayden. He crossed his arms in front of him, looking very brave indeed. Using overly exaggerated motions so they would be visible, Ayden led Trowa to the wooden wheel that served as her target.   
  
"Remember," she whispered as she fastened his arms out to either side. "Don't move no matter how close they seem." He nodded gravely as she stepped backward thirty paces. That was as far as she dared. Even at that distance, the spotlights were blinding as they followed her back, also creating shadows that would make aiming that much more difficult. While she had been attaching Trowa to the wooden circle, her bag of knives had been set down where she would be standing.   
  
She knelt, picking up the first three daggers. As she showed them to the crowd a hush fell over the tent. If the parade was her favorite then this was her least favorite. That horrid death silence where all eyes were watching her intently, wondering what would happen. A silence so complete she could hear her own pulse pounding a rhythm in her ears. She considered the glittering steel in her fingers, listening to the dead quiet for a long minute. With a sharp intake of breath, she flung all three daggers at once. Each one sinking deep into the wood in various places, but none more than one half inch from Trowa's motionless form. The boy hadn't even jumped. He was good. As she picked her next three and presented them to the audience she wondered how he would do if she aimed a bit higher. The crowd held its breath as one when she released the knives, flying near his torso. He never moved. She was panting with fear now, her heart pounding its cadence so hard and fast she had to fight to pick up the next trio. These three were not thrown at once, but one at a time in rapid succession. The audience gasped as each one hit the mark, but Trowa never flinched. She looked into his face, the worst thing she could have done with three knives left to be thrown. There was no fear in his eyes, there was no emotion of any kind in his eyes. It was the same stare he had given her earlier that night and it had the same effect as before. She almost dropped her last set of daggers as her hands trembled. "Don't look at me like that, Trowa," she whispered, attempting to aim. She tossed her daggers fiercely, but she was off. Her hand cupped her mouth to cut off her own scream as the blade swiped the side of Trowa's skull. His eyes closed and he slumped a little, mostly supported by the wheel. The ringmaster, Joshua, stepped out, ready to soothe the audience, many of which had gotten to their feet. Ayden ran to her partner's side, feeling incredibly guilty. Blood ran down the left side of his face. Almost crying, she released his arms, supporting him as he collapsed. When she was about to scream for help, he unclosed his eyes, pushing himself away from her assistance. Slowly, he walked to the center of the ring, accompanied by the dead quiet of the shocked audience. When he got there, he reached a hand back for Ayden who came into the spotlight to take it. He lifted their joined hands high, and bowed deeply. The crowd exploded into applause, relief apparent by the fierceness of their clapping. They bowed again, then turned to leave the tent, Ayden refusing to let go of his hand. In a daze, he followed her to her trailer. Blood was dripping down to the costume now and his hair was matted with it.  
  
"Sit down," she commanded, gesturing to the bed. Staring at nothing, he did as he was told. As she got a washcloth she wondered if he was going into shock. "I'm sorry," she whispered when she came back only to find he hadn't moved. "You gave me that look, and my aim went off." She spoke only to ease the tension as she cleaned the blood from him so she could see how bad the cut was. He allowed her to do this, sitting completely still and staring at the floor, but his breathing remained steady and calm. After the blood was clear, it didn't look so bad. Only a graze that would leave a bruise around the cut, and possibly a small scar. Nothing to be really worried over, now to see how badly he was frightened.  
  
"Are you all right?" He looked at the floor. "Trowa!" Those eyes came up to rest on her and she almost forgot her question as she was drowning in dark green.  
  
"Yes," he said in his quiet voice, taking off the half mask and gloves. "It's fine."  
  
"I'm sorry, but why didn't you dodge?" A stupid question. There would have been no way she could have been able to dodge a blade coming at her at that speed, but somehow she thought he could have.  
  
"You told me to hold still. I was following orders." She apologized again, though he didn't seem to be listening. The moment he had muttered the word, orders, he had started from the bed, changing out of his costume quickly.  
  
"Where are you going? Trowa, you really shouldn't be doing that so fast so soon. Are you so angry with me that you can't stand to be around me or what?" He had his hand on the doorknob, ready to leave. "Trowa!" He turned, giving her a look that froze her into silence, then he disappeared into the dark.  
  
Once she was alone, she looked at the bloody costume, her guilt and grief rising. Now her partner was gone again. She had driven him away. No wonder she had never done a night show. She had failed.   
  
"Oh, Mick," she whispered through tears. "Why did you have to leave me?" She was still sobbing when Joshua came after the show was over.   
  
"Fabulous!" He cried as he entered, as usual without knocking. "That was absolutely fabulous! I was even afraid for the boy. How did you ever manage that look of terror? It was so convincing. Where's the boy? He needs to be congratulated as well."  
  
"He's not here," she mumbled, sitting up from her position on the bed.  
  
"Where has he gone?" His normally jovial attitude was turning quickly to serious, but all she could do was shrug in answer to his question. Joshua picked up the blue and white checked shirt that Trowa had left, his fingers trailing lightly over the bloodstains. "You hit him?" She nodded miserably. "How?"  
  
"The lights blinded me, and my aim went off." There was no way on this earth she was going to tell him that he had looked at her and his eyes had frightened her so badly she had missed.   
  
"Is he all right?"  
  
"Apparently, he ran out of here quick enough."  
  
"He is coming back?"  
  
"I don't know. He didn't say. He never says anything." Joshua passed a hand before his eyes.  
  
"Come get me when he comes back, all right?" She nodded reaching out for Trowa's costume, wondering why Joshua assumed he would come back and if he did that he would return to her first. "Ayden?" She looked back at her boss who was considering her with concern. "Do you think it will happen again?"  
  
"No sir. I'll make sure of that. Pretty soon I'll be able to throw blindfolded and the lights won't matter then."  
  
"Good. Will you be okay?"  
  
"Me? Certainly. Don't worry about it. I'm more concerned with Trowa at the moment."  
  
"You have no idea where he went?"  
  
"None, if I knew I wouldn't be worried."   
  
"I'll see you tomorrow then," he sighed as he closed the door behind him.  
  
"Good night, sir."  
  
When she was alone, she set to work on getting the blood out of the checked fabric. Poor Joshua, she thought as she scrubbed, his entire act had been disrupted and one performer was missing, all because she had failed. What had been in Trowa's eyes to mess her up where nothing else had? Why had it done that to her? Her fingers worked the cloth harder as her anger at herself rose. What would Mick have thought if he had seen? And what about Trowa? Why had he left and where was he now? She continued rinsing and scrubbing long after the blood had disappeared just because the motions gave her a way to ease her frustration at having all these unanswered questions. In the end, she was forced to turn on the radio to drag her thoughts away. For the next few minutes, the news had her complete attention.  
  
"Earlier this evening an Oz base was attacked by five mobile suits. The make of these suits is still uncertain, but it is suspected that they may be Gundams." She hung the shirt up to dry and sat down on the bed to listen. Attacked Oz? And there were only five. The closest base was only twenty miles from where she was. "One suit has been destroyed, however the pilot is missing. Oz has sent specials to locate the body of the absent pilot. The other four escaped unharmed, in different directions. They appeared not to be in league with each other, though everything about them is uncertain. Any further information received will be reported at a later time." The voice went on to discuss other matters of less importance while Ayden contemplated the fact that there were people standing against Oz, Gundam pilots at that. Gundams being the most advanced form of mobile suit created from a rare alloy that was nonexistent on this planet. Whoever, or whatever, they were, they had come a great distance for this war. She snapped her fingers in sudden revelation. They must have come from the colonies! The colonies suffering from the harsh rule of Oz. Of course, that must be it. Imagine that, and good for them too. She found herself thinking that Trowa would have made an excellent Gundam pilot. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized why Trowa would make an excellent Gundam pilot. All the pieces fit, but just as she was congratulating herself on solving the puzzle she was suddenly filled with dread. What if Trowa was the one who was killed? Why should you care, Ayden? What is he to you? She hadn't even known him for very long, but still since he was her partner she couldn't help but feel a certain attachment to the boy. She fell asleep that night on her knees praying that he would return to her safely.  
  
She might have been asleep, but in her worry it was so light that the soft knock on her door brought her leaping up to admit whoever thought they needed to see her in the dead quiet of night. Her heart throbbed in relief and excitement as she turned the doorknob, though why it was doing so was beyond her. She knew who was on the other side of her door even before his hunched form came into view. He had returned. In his arms, he held the motionless body of a young man. If there had been any doubt about Trowa's identity before, him being at her door with that boy removed any shred of uncertainty.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said in a voice strained by fatigue and a touch of pain. "I thought I saw a light on. I didn't mean to wake you."  
  
"Come in. I was waiting for you anyway. You can set him on the bed there. Come in, Trowa, unless you want someone to see you."  
  
"I had no where else to take him."  
  
"I know, don't worry about it okay? He can stay here. What happened to him anyway?" Gently, Trowa lay the other boy down, brushing his dark brown bangs away from his closed eyes. From what Ayden could see in the dim lamplight, the mysterious boy had a deep gash on one side of his head, and his entire upper left side was a mess of blood.  
  
"He was in an accident." The lie, or rather, what he was keeping from her, was barely detectable, but she knew it was there. She paused to look at Trowa letting him know via her gaze that she knew the truth.   
  
"Will Oz be coming after him?" Trowa jumped at the word. In a flash of motion, faster than any knife she had ever thrown, she found both her wrists pinned above her by one of his hands. The other was raised in a fist, ready for a punch.  
  
"What do you know?" He asked in a voice made more frightening because of its quiet rasp. She found she was so scared she couldn't breathe.  
  
"Don't you trust me at all?" She was finally able to stutter, looking directly into his cold gaze. He lowered his fist slowly, but still held her against the wall. It gave her a bit of courage. "You're a Gundam pilot," she said in a voice so low it was a wonder he heard. "And so is that poor boy on the bed. You're against Oz and that is a good enough reason for me to keep your secrets." He let her go, turning from her and back to the unmoving form on the bed. Something sparked in his eyes that Ayden could barely catch. It looked like admiration, or perhaps the glimmer of friendship. Whoever this pilot was, he had won the loyalty of Trowa Barton.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Just don't get yourself killed all right? Losing another partner is not something I want to go through again anytime soon." Bringing her medical supplies with her, she sat down on the bed opposite Trowa.  
  
"So this is what happens when one invokes the wrath of Oz," she said almost to herself as she washed blood away for the third time that night.  
  
"It wasn't Oz that did this. It was himself. He was ordered to self destruct, and he did. No hesitation at all. It was so perfect. He's a perfect soldier." So many words at once, Trowa must have actually felt for this boy. The admiration was so strong in his voice that it could almost be seen.  
  
"I wouldn't doubt it. He sure did a number on himself though. It's a wonder he's still alive and breathing on his own like he is." The boy stirred slightly, not fully waking, against her touch. She thought she heard him mutter the word, Wing, before falling back into an unconsciousness so deep it could be better defined as coma.  
  
"Who is he? His physical endurance is incredible from what I can tell, especially for one of his age." Trowa gave her a suspicious look before answering.   
  
"His code name is Heero Yuy, but I don't know who he is. If you ever betray us, I'll kill you." So casual, the way he said those words, and what sent a shiver up her spine was the cold fact that he really meant it.  
  
"Don't worry, I have my own reasons for wanting Oz's control terminated." She bandaged Heero's wounds with a practiced hand while Trowa watched her intently, fingering his own cut.  
  
"How long do you think he'll be out?" She asked wondering how long she could hide him in her trailer.  
  
Trowa shrugged, pushing one of Heero's eyes open and checking his pulse. "I can't tell," he finally answered. "It's Heero, and he heals quickly. It shouldn't be more than a few days."  
  
"We'll be leaving here after tomorrow's last show."  
  
"That doesn't matter. What has he left to hold him here?"  
  
"What has any of you left to hold you anywhere?" She shouldn't have said that. Trowa's eyes, there was something so deep in them that she knew she shouldn't have brought it up at all. "Anyway," she said quickly trying to bring him back from whatever dark past she had sent him to. "You'd best get some sleep. I'll keep him safe."  
  
"Thank you." His voice was so soft, his body so hunched over. She bit her lip, looking around before finally sighing to herself.  
  
"You may as well stay here too, Trowa. I think you wouldn't make it to your trailer the way you look right now, and I really don't think you want me to support you in getting there." Even as she spoke, she was clearing a place for him on the sofa and grabbing a light blanket from a chest in the corner.  
  
"Thank you." That was all he seemed able to say, staring at the carpet. Pity welled up in her so strong she almost wept for him.  
  
"That is what it means to have a partner, Trowa."  
  
"I wouldn't know." She bit her tongue to keep her from asking the question about his past that he had hinted at. He didn't want to talk about it, and she had to respect his privacy.  
  
"Come here and sit down." That was the only thing she could think of to turn him from his brooding. When she looked up from the bed she had prepared for him, he was staring at Heero but his eyes looked beyond. The only movement was the playing of his fingers over the cut. Concerned, she knelt in front of him, trying to catch his eyes. "Trowa, what's wrong?" She hesitated for the briefest of moments, remembering his strong grip on her wrists, before shaking him by the shoulders. "Trowa!" Slowly, he turned his gaze to her. "All right?" His mouth opened, but he did not speak. "Trowa, you can tell me." He shook his head, fighting some inner battle. This was the real essence of a soldier, this private torture. "Trowa," she pleaded, taking his hand away from his head. She looked at it, but the slit appeared to be healing fine on its own. "If you can't tell me, that's fine, but at least come to the couch and lay down." The pilot contemplated his hand resting limply in hers. "Forget I asked, you're too tired to deal with this right now. Come on."  
  
"I couldn't do it," he said softly, hypnotically.  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"I just couldn't."  
  
"Trowa, I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
"Heero wasn't the only one who was ordered to self destruct." She cupped his face with her other hand in understanding. He closed his eyes in agony.  
  
"That's all right, Trowa. I'm sure Heero is glad that you couldn't, and I know I am too. Where would the colonies be if you were gone?"  
  
"He never hesitated, not one shred, but I. . .I lacked the courage."  
  
"But Trowa, look at what you've done. You've saved your friend. Living through a war like this takes more courage than dying for one."  
  
"I was afraid."  
  
"That's all right. I was afraid, everyone is."  
  
"Heero wasn't." So it came down to that. Trowa wanted to be like Heero, but he couldn't be that cold. He had too much feeling, he valued human life too much.  
  
"Heero sounds like an inhuman monster."  
  
"He's a good soldier."  
  
"I pity him then. In my eyes, you're the stronger one." Using her thumb, she wiped away the one tear Trowa had allowed himself to shed. "And this proves it."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You don't have to thank me, just remember what I tell you. Come on now, you have to get some sleep so you can be ready for tomorrow."  
  
"Where will you sleep?"   
  
"Never mind about that, lie down will you?"  
  
"I'll not have you sleeping on the floor." She smiled at him softly. His charming gentleman's manners always got her.  
  
"It's my floor and I'll sleep on it if I please. Lie down." He looked at her, considered her, for long moments before finally stretching out on the sofa. "Sleep well, Trowa Barton," she whispered even though she knew he did not hear her. After checking on Heero one last time, she curled up on the rug and fell asleep.  
  
At dawn, the knock on her door had her again jumping awake. She was suddenly nervous. What if Heero was discovered? Perhaps Oz had followed Trowa here. What if it was Joshua? There was no way she could explain Heero to him, or Trowa being there either for that matter. With a look at the pilot's calm countenance, she hesitantly opened her door to peek her head outside.  
  
Two boys of her own age of fifteen stood waiting, the look of soldiers on their faces. One was dressed in the black garb of a priest, a slight smile lifting the corners of his lips. His hair fell to his knees in one long thick brown braid, and his big cobalt eyes shone with the light of the coming morning. The other was dressed in khaki slacks, a button up shirt and a vest. His platinum blonde hair hung neatly around his angelically pale face. His soft blue eyes reguarded her almost companionably. They didn't look like Oz, but that didn't mean anything.  
  
"Can I help you?" She asked still not opening the door completely.  
  
"We are looking for someone," the pale one said in the soft voice of a pacifist. Surely, this boy was never meant for a war. She didn't trust them at all, there was just something about them that was wrong.   
  
"I am the only one here."  
  
"That is a lie," she was told by the boy in black. "We need to give him some information."  
  
"How dare you tell me what is truth and what isn't? Who do you think you are anyway?"  
  
"Forgive us," said the blonde. "It was rather rude of us not to introduce ourselves first. I am Quatre Rebarba Winner, and this is --"  
  
"Shinigami," the boy in black cut in before his name could be revealed. Shinigami? He called himself the God of Death? How reassuring. The blonde, Quatre, gave him a look of pleading.  
  
"Well, sirs, I can assure you there is no one that would be needing any of your information in my trailer." She didn't even know Trowa had come up behind her until he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Quatre," he said softly as he looked out to see who was there. "You live."  
  
"We all live, Trowa, although we are unsure about one of us." Trowa nodded.  
  
"He will be well. He will be staying here with us."  
  
"And who is this one?" Shinigami demanded.  
  
"My partner, Ayden." He had called her his partner! His hand still rested on her shoulder. "She'll not betray us." Shinigami relaxed almost visibly. "You have something for me, Duo?" The boy in black nodded. So his name was Duo, that, to her, seemed much better than Shinigami. A computer disk was taken out of his black ensemble and handed to Trowa.   
  
"Your new orders. Yours and Heero's."  
  
"What of you and Quatre?"  
  
"We've been positioned elsewhere. Who knows when our paths will cross again?"  
  
"And Wufei?" Duo shrugged and Quatre looked at the grass.  
  
"He is alive, though where he is I don't know. He's more secretive than Heero." Trowa nodded, fingering the disk.   
  
"Quatre," he spoke the name with the soft voice of one speaking to a nervous animal. "I would speak with you for a moment." He put a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder, walking him away from the group.  
  
"Trowa?" Duo called out to him. An unspoken question was asked between their eyes to which Trowa nodded. Duo turned back to look at Ayden.  
  
"Might I see Heero?" He asked with pleading. Allowing herself to trust just one more stranger, she admitted him into the room. It was dark inside, as the sun had not yet completely risen, the light resting in dusty shafts. In the dim light, Duo's eyes glittered as they came to rest on Heero's pale face.   
  
"You'll be all right," he whispered to the boy on the bed. "And the next time I see you this war will be finished." With a hesitant hand, as if he were afraid, Duo pushed back Heero's bangs, leaning low to whisper in his ear. "Thank you." Ayden averted her eyes from the scene. She deemed herself almost unworthy to be in the room, much less witness this touching drama. Who was this Heero that he would achieve such admiration from Trowa, and such love from this boy?  
  
"You just don't know him," Duo said as if she had asked the question out loud. Then he laughed, an odd sound coming from a soldier. She shuddered to hear it. "But I don't really know him either. I doubt anyone ever will."  
  
"Why is he so mysterious?"  
  
"You'll find out for yourself. It's impossible for me to tell you." She was about to retort when Trowa returned leading Quatre. The pale boy seemed even paler, and his eyes were red as if he had been crying. Trowa came to stand beside Ayden, placing a trembling hand on her shoulder as if for her support. It surprised her, and warmed her that he would do such a thing. However, she didn't acknowledge it, knowing that he would rather have her as his silent help.  
  
"You'll be all right," Duo repeated, though to whom he was speaking was unclear. Placing a brotherly hand around Quatre's shoulders, Duo left the room, Ayden and Trowa following. Once all outside, Duo tipped his hat to Ayden, who, overcome by the entire thing, reached out her hands to take one of each of theirs.  
  
"I don't know if I'll ever see you again, so I want us to part as friends," she said giving each a squeeze. Quatre kissed her hand gently.  
  
"I trust you," he said before releasing her. Duo nodded his agreement, then both glanced at Trowa. The three exchanged a last look, as if they expected never to see the others again, before the two turned and exited the circus grounds without even saying good bye.  
  
She ducked back inside, heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. Trowa had that look that meant he wanted to be left alone for a while. He stayed out on the porch for a long time, finally coming back inside when she was just setting the little table. She put a pancake and eggs on his plate without a word. Allowing him to brood, she supressed her questions, seems like she always had questions, and ate her own meal in equal silence. She watched him under her eyelashes, he twisted the disk through his fingers even though she knew that he already could guess what was on it. Whatever it was, he wasn't at all pleased. Clearing her throat, she gathered up her courage to break the silence. At the sound, Trowa looked up from the disk and his eyes almost made her lose her nerve.  
  
"We'll have to go to Joshua soon," she said in a half whisper, made so by his tortured eyes. "Unless we want him to come looking for us. He's worried about you." He raised an eyebrow, as if the notion of concern were incomprehendible to him. She came over to his side, pushing his bangs away to look at the cut. Or, at least, that's the reason she used. He tensed, as always, shying from her touch. The slit was doing well, but she still had that stab of guilt knowing it had been her fault.  
  
"You shouldn't be in this," she told him, smoothing his hair that had yet to be combed.  
  
"If it wasn't me, it would be someone else."  
  
"What made you think you wanted to do this?" He stared straight ahead, a soldier at attention once again. It was his way of escaping his emotions, she knew, though how she knew was a mystery.   
  
"There is nothing I live for except Gundam." Her fingers trailed from his hair to his shoulder. He tensed, as always.   
  
"That's sad, Trowa."  
  
"We all live for Gundam. Heero, Wufei. ."  
  
"Not all. Quatre doesn't, nor Duo either."  
  
"You don't know them."  
  
"True, but in the few moments I was with them I saw more emotion in their eyes than I have ever seen in yours."  
  
"They can't reflect what is not there. What do you want to see in them? Fear, hate?" He stood, shrugging off her hand. It took all her will not to run after him. When he reached the doorway he turned back. "Love?" Her heart skipped, allowing him to duck out of the trailer. How could she love him? She'd known him for a day only, yet there was something. She finally concluded that it was nothing but the mystery of the boy that attracted her to him. He was a puzzle that she couldn't figure and she found it fascinating. Tossing her dishtowel onto the counter, she decided to just let it be.  
  
A noise brought her attention to the bedroom. A shifting of floor accompanied with the slight tremor that comes with movement in a small trailer on wheels. Slightly nervous, she peeked into the room, not knowing what to expect. Heero was there, awake, and struggling to stand upright without the support of the bedstand.   
  
"Here now," she said in a stern tone, coming to his side. "You shouldn't be doing that just yet." He looked at her, a heated dark gray stare of almost inhuman distrust. "I'm Ayden," her voice was less sure of itself now. "A friend of Trowa's. He brought you here." She shouldn't have reprimanded Trowa for his lack of emotion, this boy was much worse. Such an intense fierce gaze, even Trowa's softened every now and then. In the unnatural pound of heart she realized that could this boy move as he usually did, she would be dead.   
  
"Did you see?" He stuttered in the cold dead voice of a mechanical being. Raised for one purpose, and that purpose being war. As she pondered his answer she also pondered his mortality. He couldn't be real, there was no way he could be real. So frightened she couldn't move, all she could do was stare at this clone of humanity before her. His muscle structure, so clearly defined. Even under the green tank top he wore, she could make out every line of his abdominals. He was a bit shorter than Trowa, she found she measured all the other boys up to Trowa from this point, since her view of Trowa's height was the perfect height to be. His hair was deep brown and unruly, hanging in his eyes and making them that much darker and more intense. Her breath came faster as she studied, the unreality of his perfection paralyzing her in its madness.   
  
"Did you see?" The question came in a hiss this time. His hand moved backward as if searching for a gun that he was most likely never without. Good thing Trowa had either taken it or it had been lost in whatever battle he had been involved with or she doubted very much that she would ever have found her voice again.  
  
"I saw nothing," she told him quietly, afraid that a loud noise would startle him. He opened his mouth to say something else, but his strength failed him and he collapsed onto the bed. Her natural compassion for the injured overcame her fear of this nonhuman enough that she rushed to kneel before him, placing a hand on his knee. Although a moment ago, she would never have found the courage to do it, she bent her head down to catch his wandering and watery gaze, his fierce hard gaze. Once she had it, he would have no choice but to listen to what she said, she had found this out from months of tending to Mick. Even if he wasn't coherent, his subconscious would hear her if she had his eyes.   
  
"Hold still," she told him as he was trying to rise again. As any well trained soldier he obeyed the command. "You're going to be too dizzy to walk around too much just yet, and there isn't anything for you to do anyway. Trowa knows when you'll be needed next, and he'll tell you when that is." They were the wrong words. His eyes widened and she could see the muscles, the perfect muscles, of his arm tighten.  
  
"What do you know?" Even in his weakened state she knew she couldn't defend herself should he turn violent. Odd, but she never thought this way with Trowa. Although he was a hardened soldier too, he didn't have this natural killer air that radiated from Heero.  
  
"I know what you are, but you must believe me when I tell you that I will never reveal anything that I know."  
  
"I'll kill you." Her breath gasped inward with the words. Even as he said it one hand reached out for her throat. She jumped back, but he caught her by her wrist at his knee.   
  
"Heero, don't!" Were the last words she could say before his hand closed about her windpipe with an iron clench that she could not break. He was so strong, and his eyes so cold. As she was just beginning to see black dots cloud her vision a sharp knock on the door startled Heero enough to release her. Before he could regain himself, she broke away.  
  
"If you want your secrets kept," she half sobbed, staggering out as fast as she could since her balance had been altered by the lack of oxygen. "You'd best stay here and keep quiet." Trembling, she closed the door and ran to the entry.   
  
"Who is it?" She asked, her voice as shaky as her body.  
  
"Joshua." After hearing her voice, he opened the door, not even waiting for her to say that he could enter. He was a tall lean man, usually jovial, but the way things had been for the past few days had made him more serious than normal. He had sandy hair and brown eyes, handsome features. Even the lines that spiderwebbed from his eyes as a mark of his age looked as if they should be there. With a single motion he closed the door and caught her arm to study her.   
  
"Ayden, what's wrong?" She shook her head, looking down. "You're shaking."   
  
"I was standing on a chair to hang up my breakfast skillet and fell that's all," she lied. "Scared out of my mind." He looked doubtful, holding her shoulders. "Have you met with Trowa?" She hoped that he would drop it and agree to her changing the subject.  
  
"Yes, I saw him. Glad he decided to come back. Did you want him for something?" She swallowed, licking her lips and trying hard not to look toward her bedroom door.  
  
"I did."  
  
"I'll get him for you."  
  
"No, that's all right. I can find him on my own."  
  
"I'd rather have you stay here for a bit, until you calm down. Okay?" Don't look at that door, Ayden. She knew that Heero was listening to every word.   
  
"Fine," she sighed. He nodded, pushing her down onto the sofa.  
  
"All right then. He'll be here in a few minutes, as soon as I find the boy."  
  
"Thank you." He disappeared and her fear rose again. There was a murderer in her bedroom, and he wanted her to die. Taking deep breaths, she allowed herself the look to the door and the sight shocked her heart so badly she thought she was going to die just from his stare. Heero was standing in the doorway, outlined with the shadow of the room behind him.   
  
"I didn't say anything," she stuttered, holding her hands before her defensively and backing away as he advanced with a calm step. "I won't say anything." His eyes narrowed and he came closer. She turned to run toward the door, but was caught by something. Screaming, she struggled against it, trying to break her wrist free from Heero's grasp. "Let me go!" He twisted her arm up until she was pressed against him, bringing his other arm around her neck. One swift movement and he could break it. She closed her eyes, her breaths coming in quick pants of fear. Her hand pulling uselessly at his.   
  
"Heero don't do this," she pleaded. "Why can't you believe me when I tell you I'm on your side?"  
  
"Because you don't want to die." The doorknob turned and opened without anyone knocking.   
  
"Heero, stop," Trowa's voice! Trowa had come. She was going to live after all. "She'll not say a word, and if she does I'll be the one to kill her." His grip relaxed and she pulled free, running to Trowa who pushed her to stand behind him. "You've got to trust her for a while." The gray eyed boy stared at her and Trowa, hard, before collapsing onto the sofa. Trowa knelt beside him, taking the computer disk from his pocket. Heero closed his fingers on it, but Trowa didn't let go. Both holding onto the disk, Trowa whispered into Heero's ear what was on it. He nodded occassionally, but there was nothing in his eyes to show if he was either pleased or annoyed. In the end, Heero took the disk, considering it with the intenseness that he considered everything. Trowa stayed by his side, waiting for something Ayden couldn't see. After a moment of this silence, Heero jumped up crying Duo's name. It was for this that Trowa had been waiting, catching the other boy by the shoulders and pushing him back down. He struggled, but in the end he lacked the strength to fight.  
  
"Where's Duo?" He asked in the cold emotionless voice in which he said everything.  
  
"Duo is fine. Better off than you. He was here a while ago, but you weren't conscious." Heero relaxed, visibly allowing his muscles to untense.  
  
"I thought. . ." his words trailed off. So Heero had a trace of humanity after all. He may not care about anything else, but he did have some sort of bond with Duo. He probably had very deep feelings, but had been raised in such a way that he could not show it.  
  
"No, he lives." Heero nodded repeatedly, obviously wishing he could talk with the boy who called himself Shinigami. Trowa pulled him up, leading him back to the bedroom.  
  
"Trowa," Ayden heard him whisper. "How?"  
  
"I'll take care of it. We'll get in. Lie down for a while before you fall down. You're still human sometimes." The door closed, and Trowa came over to stand by her.  
  
"Sit down," he told her, easing her down onto the sofa with a gentleness unusual to him. "You're going into shock." He pulled the blanket she hadn't put away yet around her shoulders, and it was only then that she realized that she was so cold her teeth were chattering. Hesitantly, Trowa drew her close to him for the extra warmth and comfort.  
  
"Scared were you?" He asked her, trying to get her to talk so she wouldn't go any further into the shock she was already experiencing.  
  
"Beyond anything. He was going to kill me, Trowa."  
  
"Yes, he was."  
  
"Don't leave me alone with him, ever." She nuzzled her head against his chest, and for once he didn't tense.  
  
"No, not for a while anyway. If you don't mind me sleeping on your sofa, that is."  
  
"Oh, I don't care. I'd rather have you here with me if he's going to be staying here too."  
  
"He won't hurt you now. I don't think." She shuddered, making him hold her tighter, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to warm her.  
  
"I don't suppose you could tell me what is on that disk that has you so worried?" He paused, considering the question. "If you can't, I understand. Classified military information probably."  
  
"Hold on a minute. I can tell whom I please. Maybe you could help us."  
  
"Any way I can. Just tell me what to do."  
  
"I have to get my Gundam into Edwards base."  
  
"Edwards? That's easy, Trowa. Should have told me sooner and you wouldn't have had to worry. Oz invited our circus to give a performance there tonight. The last one before we move on. We just tell Joshua about our surprise finale performance that even he can't know the details for. Make sure Heero knows where to be when we come out for the final act, and we can get the Gundam in with the circus gear." He nodded and resumed his rubbing motions as he went over the plan again in his head.  
  
"When do we tell Joshua?"  
  
"Now, if you like. It would probably be better if he knew of these last minute changes as soon as possible." Trowa studied her carefully, searching for something.  
  
"Are you feeling better?"   
  
"Yes, look." She held out her hand to show him that she was no longer shaking. "Just hope I never have to go through that again."  
  
"He won't do that again. Come on. Let's find Joshua, and then I'll take you to see Heavyarms." She raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant.  
  
Joshua's acceptance to their surprise act was quick. He was always willing to accept new acts and changes to old ones, it was good for business to have something different after all. The only thing that he had a slight problem with was their inability to tell him exactly what the act was, and he began to chew his lip when they said they had an extra piece of equipment they would need.  
  
"This is safe?" He had asked them, probably remembering Trowa's encounter with Ayden's misaim. Although Ayden hesitated to answer, Trowa was ready for this question.  
  
"We know what we're doing, sir. It will be a performance that Oz will never forget. I can promise you that much." The ringmaster nodded to which Trowa bowed, took Ayden's hand and led her away.  
  
"Amazing," she complimented him once they were out of earshot. Trowa released her hand quickly, turning his eyes sideways to give her his attention. "Not telling him anything while telling nothing but the truth. You'll have to teach me that trick sometime. May be useful."   
  
"No. Stay innocent Ayden. Lies would not become you at all." Before she could decide if he was paying her a compliment, he made a quick turn that led to the wooded area near the circus grounds. She had to trot to keep up with his long legged stalking gait. He probably didn't even realize he had fallen into the walk of a trained assassin, knees bent and shoulders hunched forward slightly. He glided through the brush, not making half as much noise as she was. How long had he been drilled to do this? It almost made her sad to watch his perfected stride, or it would have made her sad if she didn't have to concentrate so hard on not tripping over the tree roots and fallen branches.   
  
"Trowa," she called ahead to him. "Not that I doubt your tracking abilities but where are we going?" He paused, standing on a tree that had been blown down in some past storm, the sun glinting off his hair.   
  
"Sorry," he muttered, reaching his hand out to help her over the tree. The way he said it made her think that he had forgotten she was behind him and having difficulty catching him.   
  
"No problem, but where is it that we're headed for?"  
  
"Heavyarms. I had to hide him. It wouldn't do for the wrong person to find him."  
  
"I'm not going to ask," she sighed, hopping over another obstacle that stood in her way.  
  
"You'll see in a minute." At least he was opening up to her more now that she knew what he was and would keep that knowledge to herself. It was the beginning of a friendship, and she was glad that she had finally managed to gain his trust.  
  
A few minutes, and multiple branches in the face, later, Trowa again paused to allow her to trot to his side. She had never realized that roaming through the woods would be so difficult. He raised an eyebrow slightly when he looked at the scratches she had managed to inflict upon herself.   
  
"I'm a circus performer, not a woodswoman, all right?" He made a soothing gesture with one hand, letting her know that he wasn't judging her trail blazing abilities. Somehow, it made her feel less humiliated about not being able to move as fast as he could. He traced a scratch with one finger down the side of her face as if to check how severe it was. She tensed, surprising herself that she would flinch from his touch. He seemed different out here, more in control, more dangerous. His talent in gliding through the forest proved that, and he had stopped talking in complete sentences as if he wasn't used to speech at all. His soldier qualities were coming through very strongly in this setting, but the setting wasn't the reason.  
  
"Heavyarms," he whispered pointing ahead. She followed his finger and wondered how she could have possibly missed seeing it before. It had the appearance of a common mobile suit, but she knew that she was staring at something else. Something more complex and more powerful.   
  
"So," she breathed out in awe. "That's a Gundam. You're right Trowa, it will be a performance that Oz will never forget, what's left of it anyway." He sniffed, accepting the compliment to both his skill and the mobile unit itself, taking a few steps toward it in pride. Or at least what Ayden assumed to be pride. Looking up at it, she was already planning what they would have to do. "We're going to need a truck, and a huge canvas to cover this unless we want someone to see it. I think we can manage both, but we'll have to get it to a place where we can easily put it on a truck and drive out. The middle of the forest is a bad place for that. Heero will need to know what we're up to. He's going to be angry that he won't get to be a very big part of this won't he?"  
  
"No, he'll be the one piloting Heavyarms." His hand was on the Gundam now, as if stroking a favorite pet that had to be given away for some reason.   
  
"Why would he do that? It's your Gundam, I thought."  
  
"But he's the better pilot, and I'll be. . ." he trailed off, looking at the ground.  
  
"Be where Trowa?"  
  
"Somewhere else. Don't worry, you'll be with me."  
  
"I'm not going to be informed on any details am I?"  
  
"Not until I figure them out, no."   
  
"A spur of the moment fighter, eh?"  
  
"Everything in a battle is spur of the moment, no matter how fool proof the plan." Wow. Words of wisdom there. She looked up at him only to find that his dark green eyes looked beyond as if seeing the battle that was to come. It worried her to see him that way. She wondered if he would ever be normal, or at least her idea of normal with thoughts and emotions far away from the war. His hand came up to finger the slit on his temple, causing her to wince with guilt.   
  
"What will you do when this is over?" She tried to draw him from his dark thoughts and back to the cheery sunshine of the early afternoon. He gave a start, being shocked from whatever he had been considering.   
  
"I've never really thought about it," he said softly, still playing over the wound. "I'll know when I find it." The way he spoke made her think that he suspected the war would never end. What did she want him to do anyway? You don't really expect him to stay with you for the rest of your life do you, Ayden? What kind of future is that for a talented young handsome man like him? Yet she couldn't help but entertain thoughts of being with him forever, as most teenage girls do. Taking care of him seemed so natural, and she felt that she had known him for many years before she had ever seen him.   
  
Gently, she took the hand away from the cut. She hated watching him trail his fingers over it, and he didn't even look like he noticed he was doing it. The motion drew his attention to her, and she was again drowning in dark green. Dark green, but nothing else. No warmth or contempt, just the reflection of herself and the trees behind her. She opened her mouth to speak, but he brought up a hand to shush her. Confused, she remained quiet and watched him. He pulled his fingers from her grasp and crouched, tilting his head as if listening for something that she couldn't hear.   
  
"What is it, Trowa?" He held up a hand, commanding her to be silent with the gesture. His green eyes darted back and forth, searching for something that she had not even heard.  
  
"Mobile suits," he whispered. "Land Aries, five of them, being sent out into this area to patrol." She felt her jaw drop in amazement, but before she could comment on his fantastic abilities, he had grabbed her arm and was pulling her towards his mobile suit. "We must get Heavyarms away before they come," he explained as he helped her climb up to the cockpit. She looked about the enclosed area and wondered if having two people inside was possible.  
  
"We can't fight, I won't have enough room to manuever, but I can't leave you behind knowing what you know." She nodded even though she understood little. Her mind had clicked into panic mode and was registering little else other than the fact that she was in danger. The only other piece of reasoning that got through was:  
  
"What about Heero?" Trowa winced slightly, giving the already cramped cockpit a glance to see if they could fit Heero and still be able to fly.  
  
"We need a carrier," he decided, pulling her into his lap and tucking her head against his shoulder so he could see around her and reach the controls.  
  
"Could we steal one from Edwards?" He considered that as he made their way out of the forest and away from the patroling Aries.  
  
"We'll need to be very quick, and you'll need to fly it."  
  
"Me! Fly!" She squeaked causing him to tense.   
  
"We have to get away from here and we have to do it quickly. You'll have to fly the carrier while I protect you with Heavyarms. We'll retrieve Heero and then I'm going to complete my mission. It's not that hard. I'll be giving you instructions."   
  
He stopped the Gundam close enough to Edwards for them to get in on foot, but far enough away that they would not be noticed in a hurry. He placed a gun into her trembling fingers as he opened the cockpit for her to get down.   
  
"Be confident," he whispered as he dropped to the ground next to her. "Just be confident and I'll take care of it. Follow me." Despite her muscle structure that came with the use of the trapeze, he was still much faster than she was and she knew that he was slowing himself down for her sake. He was so amazing, terrible in his strength.   
  
The base was a huge, impenetrable structure, cold and strict. Trowa analyzed the fence that surrounded it carefully, giving a sidelong glance at her. She looked to him questioningly, wondering how he would get over. It was sure to be electrified. He nodded to himself, took a few steps backward, and crouched low. Before she fully understood what he truly intended, he sprinted forward and leaped up, turning a graceful acrobatic flip over the top of the fence and landing softly on the other side. She gasped, knowing that she would never be able to follow him over that way, but he knew that already. With the pressing of a few buttons he had dismantled the electricity and opened the gate to her. "Come on, quickly, they'll be looking for us now." She didn't say anything, didn't trust herself as she was so frightened, but followed him blindly as he jogged into the base hanger. There were many carriers inside, not that it was surprising. Trowa leaped inside one, holding his hand down to help her inside. Once there he gestured to the pilot's seat.  
  
"Ignition, steering, brake," he muttered pointing out different controls and buttons. It was so fast she was sure she would make a mistake before even getting off the ground. She was still puzzling out how to turn it on when he commanded that they leave. "Hurry, take me to Heavyarms." Closing her eyes in a quick prayer, she pushed what she hoped was the right button and pulled back on the piloting device. "That's right," Trowa assured softly, his eyes scanning everywhere at once for possible enemies. "Now pull back and increase speed." That proved to be the incorrect thing for her to do. The carrier burst forward in a rush, crashing right through the wall and setting off an alarm. But they were out before anyone really knew what was happening. "Good," he told her, nodding slightly. It wasn't quite as hard as she had thought, of course it wouldn't be or Trowa would never have allowed her to do it on her own. "There is Heavyarms, fly over it and I'll jump out. Then just follow me to Heero."   
  
"Trowa, this is crazy."  
  
"When the world goes crazy, then you must believe in yourself. Don't be afraid." He leaped down then, landing exactly right to jump into the cockpit. She hovered over him in circles, leading the OZ officials directly to them, but she didn't know what else to do. Looking down, she saw the red mobile suit come to life. It shot one OZ fighting craft directly out of the sky, then leaped off the ground, heading in the direction of the circus. Was Joshua in for a surprise! She manuevered the carrier after him, praying all the while.   
  
Heero was waiting for them as she landed the carrier. He rushed forward to climb into Heavyarms' cockpit as Trowa jumped to the ground. So he would be using the Gundam and Trowa would be with her in the carrier. OZ soldiers were closing in now, and Trowa was just inside when they fired the first shot.   
  
"I'll take over from here," he said, and she rose from the piloting seat in relief. He knew what he was doing.  
  
"Where are we going?"   
  
"Outer space."  
  
"What about Heero?"  
  
"He will destroy the base, and follow us."   
  
"What if he fails?" That got a reaction, he pinned her with a fierce gaze.   
  
"That won't happen." So the very idea of Heero not accomplishing a mission was unthinkable. She didn't understand why Trowa idolized him so much, to her their abilities were equal. A sudden jolt propelled her backward into the wall, knocking the breath from her lungs. Trowa put on a burst of speed to get out of target range, calling some command to Heero who was fighting the battle alone. Another jerk of motion and the screen ahead was filled with unthreatening stars. They had left the colony behind and were now peacefully coasting along space. She heard more than saw Trowa punching buttons, as she found her eyes were closed tightly.   
  
"Where are you hurt?" She heard him ask in his soft voice that spoke of no emotion. She tried to sit up, but her rib prevented it. That's what you get, Ayden for not wearing a seatbelt. His arms slid around her shoulders and waist, lifting her into a more comfortable position with her head resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were still squeezed tightly shut against the pain that was beginning to flare up now that she was thinking about it. His calloused fingers pulled her hand away from her side, she hadn't realized she been touching herself there at all. "Here, let me see." He probed gently, but as he didn't understand that she could not tolerate as much pain as he could, it set the rib on fire. She heard herself cry out and struggle against him, though it did nothing but cause her more pain. "Relax, if you tense it will just make it worse." His smooth tone more than what he said made her unclench her fingers and allow herself to be supported only by him. "It's not broken," he was saying, but whether it was to himself or her she couldn't guess. "Just bruised. It will hurt for a few days, but it should heal quickly." He lifted her from the floor to place her comfortably in the chair next to the pilot's. The pain was fading now, and she could open her eyes. When she did she found herself staring deep into Trowa's green eyes as he knelt over her to secure her into the chair to prevent her from injuring herself further should he have to repeat an escape.   
  
"I'm sorry to involve you with this." She shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything. "I'll make sure you are able to return to the circus, but we'll have to make sure it is safe first."  
  
"I understand." Not that she really wanted to leave anyway. She wanted to stay with Trowa for reasons she couldn't name. There was a maternal sense that she felt when she was with him that sometimes shifted to something else. It was that something else that made her want to stay.  
  
"Heero!" His yell brought her back from whatever daydream she had allowed herself to enjoy. "Doko desu ka?" She blinked. What language was that?   
  
"Trowa," the voice sounded strained over the radio transmit, and she could tell that he had been hurt. "Find Duo. . .I need Deathscythe. The Heavyarms is out of bullets." Trowa breathed out what might have been a curse. Ayden's breath caught in her throat. Heero was in trouble.   
  
"We have to help him, Trowa," she heard herself pant in desperation. "He'll die." Trowa nodded, his eyes closed against the thought.  
  
"This is a carrier, not a fighting craft. We can do nothing for him now." She bit her lip, not understanding why tears were springing to her eyes. She didn't know him, but she did believe in what he stood for. The freedom of the colonies was important, and the fact that he would die for their independence and they not to be aware of his sacrifice was too much. A scream sounded through the transmit, a horrible shrieking sound of a dying boy. She winced to hear it, but opened her eyes again as a different voice came through.  
  
"Get out of here, Heero!" Trowa sat bolt upright, disbelief flashing across his features.   
  
"Wufei!" He and Heero cried together.   
  
"That's right," said the unknown voice with a trace of amusement. "Nataku and I will take care of Edwards. Trowa, get Heero out of here." He nodded in agreement, turning the plane back to retrieve Heavyarms and its wounded pilot.   
  
"Wufei," Trowa began, although he seemed uncertain of what he would say. "I'm glad you have chosen to fight." His cockpit came onto the screen in the upper corner, a handsome young man with Chinese features. Yet his black eyes carried a certain sadness that made Ayden feel compassion for him as she felt for the others.   
  
But he could fight, oh how he could fight. She'd never seen anything like it. His Gundam was enormous, yet graceful in its terrible elegance. As Trowa descended back into the colony, she watched how Wufei's Gundam moved, keeping OZ away from Heavyarms with a torch blast from its left arm. In its right it carried a thermal energy trident of some sort, which it spun with great efficiency, creating a fireball of many mobile suits. It was incredible. She heard a groan behind her, but did not turn away from the screen where Wufei battled on alone. He might be a match for Heero even.  
  
Heero. What was to become of him? She could hear his harsh breathing as Trowa carried him gently onto the carrier, and risked her rib to turn back for a look. He was cradled in Trowa's arms, his eyelids fluttering as he tried to stay conscious. Blood trickled down his skull from the gash that had reopened due to a violent collision with an enemy. His left arm appeared to be burned and bleeding, and it was clear that one leg was broken hideously at the knee. It wasn't good. If he lived through the night it would be a miracle. His muscles, his perfect muscles, stiffened convulsively with pain, his hand gripped tightly to Trowa's arm.  
  
"Trowa," she unfastened her restraint, ignoring her own pain at the movement, to come to his side. "What do you need me to do?" He needed help, there were just too many things going on at once, and he was only one boy. "I can take care of him." He shook his head, throwing his bangs over one eye.  
  
"You're not strong enough to keep him still," he meant no offence, it was the plain truth. He looked at her, then down at the shuddering Heero. "Are you well enough to fly?"  
  
"Yes." Even if she wasn't, there was no other choice. He could not care for Heero and fly at the same time. She would have to do it. Hunched over because of her rib, she hurried to the controls, hoping she could remember her thirty second lesson enough to get them off of the colony.   
  
"Ignition," Trowa prompted from behind her in a soothing voice. "And accelerate, pull back, that's fine."  
  
"Where am I going?"  
  
"Anywhere we can get some help. Wufei?" The screen popped up once again of the cockpit. Wufei was there, apparently fine.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Take care of yourself. We'll return as soon as we can." He nodded solemnly, then turned his attention to the base.  
  
"I'll take care of that first, and as for you. . .watch yourself." They exchanged last glances, then the screen disappeared, leaving an unobstructed view of the stars. Ayden flew for a very long time, yet those stars never seemed to get any closer, and she saw no colonies on which they could make safe landing. Behind her she could hear Heero's occasional cries of pain, and Trowa's soft voice whispering to him as they went.  
  
She'd never been so far before, and that was saying something since she was part of a traveling circus that had once made a special performance on the Earth. Yet the farther they went, there didn't seem to be any colonies anywhere that they could receive help.  
  
"Um. . Trowa?" She called in what might have been the end of the second hour of flight, or the beginning of the fourth, she'd lost track.   
  
"Hai?" She turned back to give him a questioning look. "What is it?" He repeated in english so she didn't have to guess what he meant. He'd been speaking in Japanese to Heero for the entire flight so Heero would not have to concentrate so hard on his words, and now was having difficulty switching back.  
  
"What if we were to take him to Earth?"  
  
"We'd be arrested before we ever got out of this carrier. ..and then executed."   
  
"How is he doing?"  
  
"Not good. He needs help that I cannot give him without the proper supplies."  
  
"Is he awake?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Trowa."  
  
"You've done nothing, understand? You have no reason to be sorry for anything."  
  
"The fuel light is on, Trowa, we're going to have to land somewhere."  
  
"What are your coordinates?" She winced, not knowing where to even begin looking to find the information he was asking for. She'd thought she had done something spectacular in discovering the fuel light.  
  
"I don't. . ." He sighed tiredly.  
  
"Here, come here to hold him. He won't struggle against you now. I will take over." She rose, coming back to kneel on the floor and take Heero's head against her shoulder, supporting him in a semi-upright position to ease his rasping breaths. The blood had congealed along the gash in his head at least, so he would not bleed to death, but there was a deep stain covering Trowa's shirt and jeans. From the pilot's seat she could hear Trowa muttering, but couldn't make out any distinct words except "farther than I thought" and "unfamiliar territory," and with each word Ayden felt her heart rate speed up. Had she gotten them lost? She hadn't intended to, but the stars all looked the same. Heero moaned in her arms, turning her attention from worrying about their location to consider him. His eyes were slightly open and fixed upon her in slight confusion.  
  
"Relena," He murmured the name, reaching a hand to touch a stray lock of her honey blonde hair that had come loose from the ponytail. "Gomen nasai, Relena." She gave a quick glance to Trowa, but he was otherwise occupied trying to figure out where they were to translate for her. So she didn't reply at all, only took the bloody hand that played absently with the strands and held it tightly close to her.   
  
"Shh," she soothed, the only thing she could do that he would understand. He tensed sharply as a burst of pain shuddered through him. She feared that there might be some internal bleeding, but there was no way to tell under the present circumstances.  
  
"Trowa," he cried out the name as his body took control of him with painful spasms. "Doko desu ka? Nani ga attan desu ka?"   
  
"Daijoubu, Heero," Trowa called over his shoulder as he pulled the carrier around. "Shinpai wa irimasen."  
  
"Demo. . "  
  
"Heero, kyouyou ga hitsuyou desu ima." His breath came in short pants, and Ayden could feel his muscles contract as he attempted to keep his body from jerking about, and she tightened her hold on him. The carrier jolted as it used the last of its fuel, but it seemed that Trowa had found somewhere to land. Heero cried out as the craft bounced to a stop on the new planet and clenched his fingers over Ayden's hand. The ship shuddered to a stop, with Heero screaming at every lurch. His struggle set her ribs on fire.  
  
"Trowa," Ayden called through clenched teeth once they were no longer moving. "I need you. He has no control over himself." Heero arched his back, twisting his head from side to side in silent agony, his eyes squeezed shut. Trowa took him from her, holding him securely.  
  
"Doushimashita ka, Heero?" He asked in a helpless, tired tone.   
  
"Shukketsu shite imasu," he stuttered through gasps of breath. Trowa winced, lifting Heero into his arms and standing.   
  
"Come on," he turned to her. "We need to find him some help." She was only able to nod, not trusting herself to speak as her rib pained her too much to make an intelligent sentence.   
  
Once they were outside the carrier she noticed why the landing had been so bumpy. They   
were in the mountains. The mountains of where she had no idea, but that was all she could see for miles around. No trees, no water, no towns, nothing except mountains. . . .and one vicious looking young man.  
  
"Trowa," she whispered the warning as the man came closer, but he had already seen.  
  
"Take the gun," he whispered back. He would have unholstered it himself, but he was holding Heero. "Take the safety off and point it to the ground. Now be very still." 


	2. The Priestess of Suzaku

Part 2: The Priestess of Suzaku  
  
As the man walked toward them, Ayden studied him carefully. He had hair the color of fire and wore a deep blue coat with light blue lining over light gray trouser type pants. His boots were black, if a little dusty, and came up to his knees. He didn't appear to carry any weapons. The only things on him were several necklaces of gold and colored beads, and as he walked Ayden could swear she saw an earring swing back and forth within the scarlet hair that hung in his eyes and down his back in a tail from the base of his neck. From what she could tell, he was a bandit, but she couldn't be sure.   
  
"No closer," Trowa ordered in a sharp bark of command then repeated it in Japanese just in case he hadn't understood. The man stopped, shifting his weight to one leg and folding his arms. His lips curled up into an insolent smile as he took in the state of Trowa and Heero. But his entire expression changed when he looked to Ayden. When he saw her his mouth dropped open and he fell to one knee with his forehead almost touching the ground.   
  
"Sorry, Priestess," he drawled with a thick accent. "I didn't know it was you." Priestess? Her? Not even close. She was an acrobat or she was nothing.  
  
"I think you have me confused with someone else," she told him, but he shook his head.  
  
"You're not fooling anyone. Who else has hair the color of honey?" She instinctively reached up to tuck that one strand behind her ear, and winced as the movement made her remember her ribs.   
  
"We'll settle that later," she muttered, trying to ignore the fire that burned at her side. "Right now we need to get this boy some help." She placed her hand on Heero's forehead gently. He was quiet now, held tightly in Trowa's arms, but that was only because he was too weak to move.  
  
"The emperor will want to see you, but I don't think your guardian will make it all the way to the city." Ayden gazed up at Trowa, who seemed very far away in thought.   
  
"He's right," he whispered to her. "We need somewhere close."   
  
"Could you take us?" Ayden asked of the kneeling young man. He nodded, rising at last. He was taller than she was, taller than Trowa even, but that was because he was at least two years older than any of them. He gestured toward a path that led deep into the mountains and began to lead the way.   
  
"Can we trust him do you think?" Ayden whispered once he had turned his attention from him.  
  
"We don't have a choice."  
  
"Will you be all right?" He didn't answer, only started after the retreating bandit, leaving her no choice but to follow. As she walked, careful not to trip on any loose rocks, she took careful glances about her to examine their surroundings. It most certainly wasn't a colony, but a planet of some kind that shared a sun with Earth perhaps, or it might be a different sun all together, she had no way of knowing. In the distance she could make out the crowded rooftops of a city, but it was very far away. The young man had been right, there would have been no way Heero would have made it that far, or Trowa either for that matter.   
  
The cave entrance was small, and had they been alone Ayden was sure they would have walked right past it. Inside, however, proved to be a complex system of rooms and underground tunnels. It seemed an entire city under the mountain, but it was a city of bandits. They were all gruff men, none above the age of thirty, but many as young as twelve, but despite their roughness the city was clean and well organized.   
  
Ayden studied their surroundings carefully, then considered Trowa who limped at her side. Limped? She hadn't noticed him limping before. He held Heero tightly, watching the path ahead intently, as if afraid of falling. She sighed as she watched him. His eyes were so tired, but they carried worry and suspicion as well. He didn't like it here, and was thinking on how they could get back home. Home didn't sound like a bad idea to her either. She wondered if Joshua even knew what had happened yet.   
  
Their leader, she didn't even remember if he had told them his name or not, turned back to see if they were following. Since she had his attention, she figured she'd ask him a few questions.  
  
"I don't suppose," she began, making him stop to give her his full consideration. "You could tell us who you are and why you think you know me?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you? I'm sorry. I'm Tasuki, head bandit for his Highness, and everyone knows about you. We've been waiting for you for a very long time, and you couldn't have picked a better day." He began walking again.  
  
"Waiting for what?"  
  
"His Highness will explain that to you when you get there. First you should get rested up. I'm going to go find someone to take care of your guardian." Guardian? She supposed he meant Heero. "Wait here, I'll only be a minute."  
  
"What do you think he means?" She whispered to Trowa once he was no longer in ear shot. Trowa shook his head, swaying slightly, but did not answer. Heero moaned, turning his head in an attempt to ease the pain that coursed through him. She winced for him, laying a hand on his forehead. She would have whispered words of encouragement to him, but she knew he wouldn't understand her even if she could think of something appropriate to say.  
  
Tasuki returned a short time later with another stranger following close behind. This one was dressed similar, they could have been brothers if his hair hadn't been, and she had to blink to be sure, yes, it was blue.   
  
"This is Koji," Tasuki introduced him with a nod of his head. "He'll take your guardian to where he can be helped." The blue haired man gave a quick bow before coming forward to take Heero. Trowa backed away, growling under his breath. Koji paused, glancing back at Tasuki for explanation while Ayden placed a soothing hand on her partner's shoulder.   
  
"Let him go, Trowa," she told him gently. She hadn't realized how helpless he felt now that they were here. He turned his green eyes on Koji, considering him.  
  
"I promise," Koji said. "I promise we'll do all we can for him. You don't have to worry." He came forward again, and this time Trowa relinquished his friend into the other's care. Koji nodded, smiling, and took Heero away. Once relieved of his burden, Trowa's knees collapsed, depositing him in the dirt. He stayed there, motionless, for several minutes with his shoulders hunched and his hands on his knees. Ayden stood near him protectively, stepping close to lay a comforting hand on his back. He leaned his head against her, and she felt a trickle of blood slide down her leg. The cut had reopened. She sighed, wondering what would become of them. Heero was in danger of death, and they were trapped on an unknown planet where the inhabitants believed her a priestess. Oh Trowa, she thought, smoothing his bangs, we're in so much trouble.  
  
Tasuki cleared his throat. "We've found you a place to stay," he said, studying Trowa, who was studying the ground, eyes unfocused. "I'll take you to the capital when you're ready. Does he need some help?" Stubbornly, Trowa lurched to his feet, Ayden catching his elbow to keep him steady.  
  
"No," he said gruffly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. Ayden reached for his hand, and he limply allowed her to keep possession of it. Tasuki looked at their interlocked fingers, shrugged, and gestured for them to follow him. It took a nudge, but she got him to start moving. He was so tired, and apparently in shock.   
  
Tasuki led them to a comfortably large room in the center of the underground city. There was one bed, a chair, and a small table that held a small pitcher and a washing basin. A torch burned in the sconce on the wall, which almost made Ayden giggle in hopelessness. There was no electricity here? It was all so primitive she thought it a joke.   
  
"There is clean water," Tasuki told them as he held the door open, removing any doubt of his sincerety. "And I'll have a pallet brought in for your guardian." She bit her tongue just short of telling him Trowa's name. It got on her nerves that they thought he was her guardian, especially since she knew it would never happen. "I'll be sure the doctor comes in to look at him as soon as your other protector is out of danger. Is there anything else you need?"  
  
"Just information, if you please." He shrugged, glancing over his shoulder and out of the room.   
  
"I think His Highness will want to discuss that with you. He's been waiting so long for you to come here."  
  
"So you mean to keep us here without knowing anything?" Tasuki smiled the half smile of someone sharing a secret.   
  
"You can't trick me, Lady," he said, grinning wildly. "Please don't try." Then, as if he had won a great championship, he turned on his heel and closed the door behind him. Sighing, she stared at it, confused and wondering if they would ever be able to leave this place. Who was His Highness? Some sort of monarchy? An emperor or king perhaps. Great. She'd just have to wait until she could speak to him.  
  
Since she could do nothing, she turned her attention to Trowa, who hadn't said a word since he'd refused the assistance of their scarlet haired bandit. She found him collapsed on the chair, elbows on his knees and hands clasped behind his head. It made him look very young, and almost desperate. He was covered in blood, both Heero's and his own, and his eyes were haunted and tired. It appeared that he had gone into some sort of trance, as if to distance himself from the situation. Sighing, and wincing because of her ribs, she poured some of the water into the basin and held it under his gaze.   
  
"Drink it, Trowa," she commanded in a gentle voice. "While it's still clean." She nudged it against his arm to bring his attention to her. Without looking at anything, he took a few awkward gulps before returning it to her, allowing her to drink the rest. "What are we going to do, Trowa?" She asked as she refilled the basin and dipped the cloth into it. He stared at the floor, unfocused and unhearing. She knelt in front of him, hating to see him that way. It frightened her because if he didn't have a plan, they were in a lot of trouble. Like a mother she pulled his hands from behind his head to wash the blood from them, proceeding after to his face and neck. He closed his eyes at the coolness of the water, shuddering, but never coming out of his self imposed trance.   
  
"Trowa, don't do this. I need you to talk to me." She needed him to reassure her, to tell her that he had a plan and everything would be fine. But he continued to stare at the floor, deep in exhausted thought. "Come on Trowa, look at me." Her hands were shaking. She felt very alone and unprotected. She was a stranger in a strange land with a strange boy who was her only link to anything real. And he sometimes seemed to be surreal himself. As a sudden burst of panic at the realization of the situation, she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him violently to pull him out of it, and regretting the action immediately as her side flared up, covering her eyes with a crimson veil of pain. Whimpering both from hurt and helplessness, she drew her arms around herself, hunching over until her head almost touched the floor.  
  
  
They were in the center of the city, of course he had put them there. That way they couldn't escape. And even if he tried, he would have a hard time getting Ayden out and Heero would be impossible. Trowa thought desperately on the problem at hand, allowing himself to view it from a third person perspective, as if writing out a scenario. He found that taking this approach saved him from becoming panicked, and things usually worked out for the better if one kept a level head. From what he could tell they were on an undeveloped planet with no technological advances of any kind. Meaning it would prove very difficult to repair and rebuild the carrier since the people here most certainly had no knowledge of mechanics and would have no communication either. And the fact that they thought Ayden some priestess they had been waiting for would complicate matters as well. People are most reluctant to release others whom they believe were sent to help them. So they were stuck here, little better than prisoners, at least until Heero was well enough to travel. His main concern would have to be protecting Ayden at this point. Who knew? Being the priestess might mean becoming a sacrifice for all he could tell. And he felt pinpricks of guilt for having brought her so deeply into the horrible muddle that was the life of a soldier. But there's nothing you can do for her right now, Trowa, he thought as he fingered the cut on his temple. There is nothing else you can do. And the helplessness of that was almost crippling.  
  
A whimper brought him from his thoughts. How long had he been here? The blood was gone from his hands, Ayden must have rinsed it away. Ayden? What had happened to her? Shaking himself as if he had just woken up, he saw her hunched over on the floor in front of him. In his worry over Heero and their predicament he had forgotten about her bruised ribs. He wondered if the doctor would be there soon. They needed to be properly bound.  
  
He eased himself to the floor, gently taking hold of her shoulders. Bent double, like she was, would only worsen the situation. She needed to be upright, supporting the ribs and back, but she would need some help in maintaining that position. Another wave of guilt rushed through him when he thought of how she had been hurt. If he had stayed out of her life none of this would have happened. But Trowa, he thought as he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her straight and whispering to her that she needed to relax, then you would never have known her. For reasons he could not name this made him cling to her more tightly, as if afraid she would disappear.  
  
A knock on the door brought Ayden out of the comfort of Trowa's arms. She had been enjoying his heartbeat, and the soothing presence he brought when he held her. She knew he did it only because of her ribs, but she could forget that for a few moments as she listened to him breathe, which was more comforting than anything he might have said.   
  
"Priestess," Tasuki's head peeked in the small opening in the door, and stopping when he saw her in Trowa's arms. "Um, I have brought the pallet." Unexpectedly, he winked. "But I'm wondering if it is really necessary." Ayden felt Trowa's muscles stiffen at the comment, and then she was being lifted as he stood to confront the cheeky bandit.   
  
"You should be more respectful," he reprimanded Tasuki in a cold voice of command. It might have looked ridiculous. Trowa standing up to Tasuki, even though he was a good few inches shorter, covered with blood, and holding Ayden, but it seemed to do the trick.   
  
"My apologies, Lady," he bowed, making the appellation mocking, but she did not really care. "I'll be bringing the doctor now."   
  
"Uh, thank you." He nodded, tugged the pallet into the room, and promptly left again. Trowa stared after him, apparently unaware that he still held her. She didn't mind, only watched the shadows of the torch dance upon the wall.   
  
When the door opened a second time, it was by a young man, about twenty or more, with odd spiked light blue hair and a fox-like face. He wore a rough cotton tunic and Chinese fisherman's pants. A blue cloak with crazy spiral designs was fastened across his chest and tied into a hasty knot at the hip. He carried a staff that was almost taller than he was, with several dangling rings of gold attached to the top, making a clanking noise whenever he moved. A smile seemed painted on his face, but Ayden was not afraid of him. His presence made her think that she might even know him, that he was some friend she had almost forgotten.  
  
"What is it?" Trowa asked, defensive. Tasuki had put him on edge, and Ayden could feel him tense again as the blue haired man came into the room.   
  
"I'm just here to check you guys over, you know," he said in a jovial, kind, cheerful voice. "Make sure you're all right."  
  
"It's the doctor, Trowa," Ayden tried to soothe him by whispering. "You can set me down, I don't think he'll hurt us." Nodding to himself, he placed her gently on the bed, stepping away so that she could be examined. . .but the man seemed to be more interested in him first, however.   
  
"Wow!" he exclaimed when all the blood on Trowa's clothes was exposed. "Had a rough day, didn't you? Take off your shirt so I can see how bad the wound is, you know." Trowa held up a hand.   
  
"I'm not hurt," he said calmly. "But her ribs need to be wrapped." He nodded his head in Ayden's direction, and the blue haired doctor turned his attention back to her.   
  
"Oh, sorry about that, priestess of Suzaku. I didn't know, you know."  
  
"Forgiven." She dismissed the apology, but did want to know who Suzaku was. "If you don't mind me asking your name and a few other questions."  
  
"No problem. I'm Chichiri, you know. Advisor to His Highness. You'll have to let me look at your ribs, please." She gave a quick look to Trowa, who immediately turned around, giving her at least a little privacy. Ordinarily, she would never have done this for anyone, but the man, Chichiri, seemed very kind and trustworthy.   
  
He probed about her side with gentle fingers, determining how serious the bruising was, and talking all the while he went. "We've been waiting for you for a very long time, Priestess of Suzaku," he chatted. "Though I thought you would come with a bit more style, you know?"  
  
"No actually," she broke in. "I don't know. I really think there has been a mistake here. I don't even know what or who Suzaku is so how could I possibly be its priestess? We weren't even supposed to be here, it was all a mistake." Chichiri snickered.   
  
"Oh, there was no mistake, you know. It's all been written. The priestess shall have hair the color of honey and bring with her two young guardians who have all the appearance of stone statues, you know. And from what I've seen, your hair is the color of honey, and you did bring two young men with you."  
  
"I barely know them, and there are thousands of blonde haired girls."  
  
"Not in Konan, but there is something else. They say that she will wear clothing unfamiliar to this land, speak with an accent unheard of before, and that her name will be that of the tawny falcon that flies over the Mountain of High Taityoku." Trowa muttered something under his breath at these statements, but Ayden couldn't tell what it was as it was spoken in lilting Japanese. "And," Chichiri went on, turning around to give Trowa a look. "Her guardians will speak the tongue of the ancients, forgotten to this people." Trowa's stare almost spoke of challenge, but he shrugged and went on ignoring what was going on, although Ayden was sure he was storing every word.   
  
"So you see, Lady Ayden," he continued, turning back to give her his attention once more. "You are what we have been praying for." She was sure her mouth was open, and her eyes must be wide. He knew her name, though she had not spoken it, and he had described her and Trowa perfectly.   
  
"If I am what you say, then why didn't I know of it before?"   
  
"Well, the world works in many different ways, you know. But you were brought here for a purpose." She heard Trowa punch the wall, and looked up quickly to see him leaning his head against it.   
  
"We can't stay here," he said in a voice little above a whisper. "Don't you understand? We have to leave, to get back to our own world. I have to complete my mission. The colonies. . .Wufei. . .Quatre." With the utterance of the last name, he slid down the wall to crouch pathetically in the corner. "You've got to let us go."  
  
"Easy Trowa," Ayden called, rising from the bed to go to him. Chichiri watched them both with solemn eyes. "Even if Heero were ready to travel we still would have no way to leave. There is no fuel, remember?"  
  
"We can't stay here. What will happen to the colonies?"  
  
"The colonies will have to hold their own for a while. There is no sense in being upset for circumstances we cannot control. You're tired, Trowa, once you've slept for a bit we can figure something out."  
  
"Lady Ayden?" Chichiri called her back to the bed, where he massaged a salve gently at her side, and wrapped her torso tightly with a clean strip of linen. A primitive cure, surely, but the pain erased itself with the motions of the shaman's fingers. "Your guardian seems severely distraught, you know." Trowa was still on his knees in the corner, his head against the wall, and a small trickle of blood running down it from the knife slash across his temple.  
  
"He has cause. Could you perhaps," she licked her lips. "Perhaps get him something to help him sleep? I know that he will not otherwise."  
  
"Of course, and I shall bring you both something comfortable to wear as you rest, you know." He began gathering his things, paused, and handed her another strip of linen. "I think you'd better take care of his temple, you know. I really don't think he will allow anyone but you near him." She nodded, accepting the cloth with numb fingers.  
  
"Chichiri?" She called as he was just stepping out the door. He turned back to see what she needed. "What of," she paused on the verge of giving his name. "What of my other guardian?"  
  
"He sleeps for now. I think Amiboshi is watching him."  
  
"Amiboshi?"  
  
"One of your celestial warriors, you know." She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.   
  
"I don't, but if you could take me to see him I would greatly appreciate it." He smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing slightly.  
  
"In the morning, priestess. Things always look better in the morning, but I will send Amiboshi to you with some clean clothes and a sleeping draught. I think it would be best if you took some too, you know."  
  
"Yes, thank you. You don't know how much this means to us."  
  
"Likewise, you know." He patted her head, as if she were a small child, smiling in a comforting manner, before disappearing into the underground city, apparently in search of Amiboshi.   
  
When she looked back at Trowa, he had already prepared the pallet to his satisfaction, and had curled up in the fashion of a cat upon it. It seemed to be nothing but a sheet of some sort filled with goosedown and other such soft things. She doubted that it mattered what it was, Trowa was tired enough to sleep on the dirt floor when it came to that. In fact, she thought his eyes were closed already. Shaking his shoulder she once again brought him into the realm of awake, and helped him sit up so she could tend his temple.   
  
"We'll get this to heal yet, Trowa," she muttered as she massaged the salve around the bruised skin and wrapped the linen about his forehead. "In the meantime, this should help you fit in, eh?" He sniffed a reply that meant nothing.   
  
"Feeling better then?" He murmured when she had tied off the strip and he had her eyes.   
  
"Yes, don't worry about it."  
  
"Did they tell you anything about Heero?"  
  
"He's still alive. Chichiri said he was sending someone in who can give us more information."  
  
"We have to get him out of here."  
  
"I don't think it is as serious as you're thinking, Trowa. These people don't want to hurt us."  
  
"OZ does. Just because we are safe here means nothing to the people of the colonies."  
  
"For one night Trowa you are going to have to keep them out of your mind. They have Wufei to fight for them, and Duo," she hesitated on the verge of mentioning Quatre's name, remembering how Trowa had reacted to it the last time it had been uttered. "Focus your attention on this act before you worry about the closing, okay?" He gave her a deep penatrating gaze, the one he was famous for, and nodded to her bed.  
  
"I will if you'll do the same. We'll decide what to do with this in the morning."  
  
"We could ask the emperor for help when we meet him."  
  
"I doubt he'll be of much help, Ayden." She shrugged, using stiff and hurting muscles as she stood from her kneeling position on the pallet.   
  
"We'll have to wait and see."  
  
"I'll get you home somehow Ayden. These people won't hurt you as long as I'm around." It was an odd comment, seemed completely out of place in the conversation, but it awakened something in her that stole her ability to reply. It was his way of giving her his thanks, she supposed. It was awkward, everything concerning his emotional state was awkward, but she had always been an expert on reading between the lines.   
  
Amiboshi rushed through the passages of the underground city, his flute gripped tightly in one hand, a lantern in the other, and some clean clothes tucked under his arm. The priestess had come! He could hardly wait to lay eyes on her. He'd been waiting to see her for as long as he could remember, and he relished the fact that he would meet her before his younger twin brother, Suboshi. If she was anything like her guardian he would be more than satisfied. The wounded young man had been perfect in feature and every other physical sense. Dark and flawless, even covered in blood and too weak to move. Nervousness and excitement combined into one wriggling mass of emotion that rose and fell in his stomach to his throat and back again. He was going to meet the Lady Ayden! She was going to help them win their war. To him she was more than a priestess, she was a conduit to the gods.  
  
He was barely able to knock before entering the small chamber that had been given to the priestess and her unhurt guardian. Bursting in he stopped short when he finally saw her for the first time. Why, she was as old as he was! He shook his head slowly as he considered her in all her delicate beauty, trying to remind himself to breathe. Her body was slender and elegant, with small perfectly formed limbs and long delicate hands. He swallowed, licking his lips and forgetting every word he had ever known. Her skin, it was so dark! Tanned a golden brown by the sun in such a manner that could never be accomplished in this land, and her hair! It shone a rich honey gold in the flickering light of their torch until Amiboshi could swear she was a vision and not truly there at all. He licked his lips again, fingering his flute carefully to give his hand something to do. Then he looked into her eyes, and was shocked anew. What color were they? They seemed to change and shift. One moment they were as deep green with traces of gold as a forest glade dappled with sunshine. Then they would change all together into the fierce dark gray and deep blue of a midnight summer storm that flickered with lightning as they reflected the light. Next they shifted to a velvet brown wonderment likeable only to the sleek coat of a bay horse. Oh, but she was beautiful. . .and staring at him with eyes, blue again this time, filled with confusion.  
  
"A. .amiboshi?" She questioned and it took him many moments before he could nod. Her voice carried a heavy exhaustion, but under it he knew that if she were to laugh or raise it in song he would be forced between the two extremes of sobbing or shrieking with the pleasure of hearing it. And to hear it say his name, it was almost too much for him to bear. His heart beat so fiercely, and the hand clung to the flute so tightly it was almost numb.   
  
"Lady Ayden," he stuttered, making a clumsy bow and felt himself go crimson in embarrassment at his awkwardness. "I was sent to you." She nodded slowly, giving a glance to her guardian who sat cross legged on the pallet. He was another perfect example of what the human race should look like. A powerful warrior was apparent in his features, and Amiboshi hoped that he would never have to encounter him in any sort of combat.   
  
"Can you give us any news of Heero?" The guardian asked in a soft voice of someone very tired and numb emotionally, as he stood to hover protectively next to the priestess. He was taller than she was, and she took an automatic step near him as one naturally does to someone that has shared a long friendship or some other intense intimacy. It made him jealous to see how close they were already, when he had never been given a chance.   
  
"Heero? The other you mean. He's asleep."  
  
"Will he live?" The Lady Ayden pursued the question in her liquid voice.   
  
"Of course. Mitsukake healed him the moment they brought him. He'll be able to go with you to the capital tomorrow."  
  
"But. . he was . . .how could that be possible?"  
  
"Mitsukake has a talent for healing, it is what makes him a Suzaku warrior."  
  
"How many are there?" The guardian pushed his bangs away from his eyes and collapsed neatly onto the pallet while Ayden did the same on the bed.   
  
"Seven of course." He felt a tiny nick of doubt enter his perfect faith in the Lady Ayden's right to the station of priestess. She didn't know about the star points?  
  
"I'll have to meet them in the morning," she muttered drowsily as Amiboshi set their new clothes on the only chair in the room.   
  
  
Amiboshi, Ayden found, was her own age with strikingly handsome features. His jaw line was set, his face narrow and slender, and his eyes were enormous and innocent. He wore ancient chinese garb in pink and lavender and white, a tunic belted over leggings and interesting to look at. His eyes were a shining blue, and his hair was cut in such a fashion that a tail hung down his back, and his bangs were held back by a headband. . well partly anyway. His bangs were so long that they hung over the band and into his eyes anyway, making a charming picture. And the strangest thing about him was the fact that his hair was blonde.   
  
"I thought there were no blondes here," she pointed out after remembering what Chichiri had told her.   
  
"There aren't. My brother and I come from a far land. We were orphaned, but Chichiri found us and brought us here after he learned that we were Celestial Warriors of Suzaku.  
  
"Your brother?"   
  
"Suboshi." She winced at the thought of trying to remember all these strangely pronounced names. There would be seven when she was through; she had to keep them all straight somehow. The torch guttered, reminding her just how tired she was.  
  
"We'll get this all straightened out in the morning," she said, stretching out on the bed, careful of her ribs.   
  
"As you wish, but we are so glad that you've come. I've been sent to make sure you get to sleep all right." She nodded mildly, and then the torch light was gone. Amiboshi had snuffed it out. A bit of shuffling told her that Trowa had stretched out comfortably on his pallet at her side, and she made a mental note that he was there so she would not trip over him when she got up. Then the music began.   
  
Amiboshi, as it turned out, was an accomplished flute player. The tones were gentle and flowing, and they continued in a slow sleepy melody that made her eyes close of their own will. It was as if the notes surrounded her like the blanket over her shoulders, filling her ears with promises of a better tomorrow and an uninterrupted, dreamless sleep. She felt herself drowsing off without being able to help it, and the last thing she heard was the sweet voice of Amiboshi, bidding her a good night.   
  
When she opened her eyes she didn't have to remember that Trowa was right next to her, because he was already gone as were the new clothes on the chair. She decided that he had probably gone to see Heero and that she should go find him. This was not the kind of place she wanted to be without him, even though all of the people she'd met thus far were friendly and helpful. The new clothes were of a cotton material, soft and comfortable. She was glad that they had given her pants instead of a skirt, most likely because, as a city of bandits, they did not have rainment appropriate for their new priestess.   
  
The underground metropolis was a buzz of activity when she entered their midst after completing getting dressed. They had given her something extra with her clothing that she found most interesting. Four leather thong type pieces that went over her legs and arms on the inside of her clothes. It had taken her a moment to figure out what they were for, but eventually decided that they were to keep daggers hidden under the cotton, ready to be drawn out with ease. It seemed a fitting weapon for her, and she was grateful for the leather, now if only she could get some daggers to fit into the hidden sheathes.   
  
The first person she met in all the bustle was Amiboshi, or at least it looked like him. He had changed clothes of course, but it was still him. He seemed preoccupied, rushing to some unknown destination, as if searching for something yet not quite remembering what it was that he was supposed to be looking for.  
  
"Amiboshi!" She hailed him, being brave enough to catch his elbow to make sure he knew who had called him. "Do you know where Trowa is?" He turned, giving her a confused look before his eyes went wide and he dropped quickly to one knee at her feet.   
  
"Forgive me Lady," he said to the dirt. "I did not recognize you."  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'm looking for Trowa. I just needed to know if you could tell me where he is."   
  
"Trowa?"  
  
"Yes, the young man who was with me last night. Don't you remember?" His blue eyes cleared up with revelation, as if he had just solved a mystery.  
  
"That wasn't me, Lady Ayden," he explained his ignorance of her guardian. "That was my twin brother. I'm Suboshi." So not only were their names strange, but they would be impossible to tell apart. Great.   
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know."  
  
"It's fine, you aren't the only one."  
  
"Please, do you know where I can find Trowa? Or Heero for that matter?"  
  
"I can take you to Heero's room. Follow me." He gestured and proceeded to lead her through the labrynth like tunnels of the city, where it was so dark torches needed to be kept burning five feet apart all along the walls. All along their way they met with other men scuttling around with the air of someone who had something important to do.  
  
"Suboshi?" Ayden couldn't stand the not knowing that came with the entire place. "What is going on?"  
  
"There is a war going on, priestess," he explained as he made his way down the tunnel. "And we are making sure that we can get you to the capital in safety." That seemed to make sense. She just hoped the emperor could explain things. It looked as if they would be there for quite a while, so she might as well fit in as much as possible. She was perfectly willing, but she doubted if the young men with her would be able to forget what they had left behind so easily.  
  
If anything, Suboshi led her farther underground where the temperature was a little higher and the walls were a bit closer. Heero had to be kept down here, Suboshi had told her, because the rooms higher up had been too chill for him. At least, he added as he took her hand to help her over a fallen rock, that's what Mitsukake had said.  
  
Mitsukake was sleeping in a chair beside Heero's bed when they arrived. He was a giant of a man, about twenty-seven, with massive shoulders and muscular structure. His hair and skin were dark, and even in sleep his face held a solemn expression. Suboshi went to stand next to the giant, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder without waking him.  
  
Heero slept also, looking small and weak in the bed. His head was bandaged, as was his left arm which was laying atop the blankets. His eyes were closed and under them were severely dark patches. Ayden gently entwined her fingers with his, but he gave her no response. Somehow seeing him like this made her forget just how deadly he could be. He was something vaguely familiar in this land of strangers. Besides, he was vulnerable now, and he was supposed to be her guardian after all.  
  
"They said you would be ready to come with us today," she whispered to him, ignoring the other occupants of the room. "But don't worry, Trowa and I will take care of everything until you recover." With her other hand she brushed his cheek, wondering if the act of comfort would be understood by someone who had never known affection.  
  
"He'll be ready," came a dusky voice behind her, and she turned to see Mitsukake standing slowly from the chair. He literally towered over her, but his presence was not threatening. He went to the other side of the bed, placing his hands on Heero's wounded shoulder and his forehead. "It took all I had to stop his bleeding and restore the shattered knee last night, but I am ready to finish now." Closing his eyes in concentration, he took a deep breath. Ayden watched, silent and puzzled, wondering what he intended to do. A soft green light poured forth from his hands, folding over Heero in a warm, soothing haze. As Ayden watched the circles under his eyes disappeared, the flush of fever decreased, and his eyelids twitched open. Ayden heard someone gasp and it wasn't until Heero focused his dark gray eyes on her that she realized it had been herself. Mitsukake slumped forward, his hands on the bed to support himself. Suboshi unwrapped the bandages, revealing that the wounds were completely healed, before laying a hand on Mitsukake's back and giving him a concerned look.  
  
"There are more injuries," Ayden heard the giant rumble softly, breathlessly. "Deeper wounds that were never treated." She took Suboshi's place at the older man's side, taking his arm and leading him out of the room for a private conversation.  
  
"How?" Was the only thing she could think of which brought a tight lipped smile from the other.   
  
"There is a healing power within me that I can use for the benefit of others. It is not something to question, just a gift."  
  
"So he will be all right now?"  
  
"I've healed him as much as anyone could. He is in no immediate danger, priestess, you have no need to worry." She nodded slowly, barely even noticing him address her with the respectful appellation.  
  
"But what of the deeper injuries? I know I heard you say that he was not fully healed yet." Mitsukake gave a side long look into the still open doorway where Suboshi was nervously holding a cup up to Heero's lips so he could drink.  
  
"That body has taken more abuse than any other person could handle," he seemed sorrowful, as if he wished he could have done something to prevent it. "There are broken bones that he must have walked on for days without realizing, and another type of wound I've never seen before that ripped a hole straight through him . ." he paused, sucking a breath through his teeth. "There are others, things I've never seen before. A fever burns in him, harshly, but I cannot reach it. Just so many things that I cannot identify, and therefore cannot help him with." Ayden wondered if it was only physical hurt that Mitskake was describing now. She might have said something, but Suboshi interrupted before she had the chance.   
  
"He's asking for you, Lady Ayden," he said shyly, his eyes downcast respectfully. It was so awkward. She locked eyes once with Mitsukake before leaving them alone outside. When she entered her "guardian" was already out of bed, standing with a hand against the wall for support. Except for being so pale, one would never know he had been injured. It was only then that Ayden remembered the last time she had been alone with him like this. They may think he was her guardian, but in truth he was a soldier she did not know, who had tried to kill her more than once. It was for that reason that she kept back by the door, ready to run if she had to.   
  
"Where's Trowa?" He demanded as soon as he saw her, taking a limping step away from the wall. "We need to leave."  
  
"I haven't seen him yet, but we can't leave Heero." He snapped his gaze up to her in the process of tying his shoe.  
  
"Explain yourself." She winced at the coldness of his voice, and felt the door against her back without ever realizing that she had stepped backwards into it.   
  
"We are out of fuel. The carrier is pretty banged up, and we're trapped here until we think of some way to make that thing run."  
  
"Here? Where are we exactly?"  
  
"We're not sure yet, but they. . .they think that you are my guardian."   
  
"Nonsense," he sniffed, standing straight and making Ayden realize that he was taller and stronger than she was. "I'm going to find Trowa. Don't get too far, unless you want to stay here." Somehow they had formed a shaky alliance, but she still found it difficult to catch her breath when around him.   
  
"I'll. . .I'll come with you. I need to speak with him too." He shot her a fierce glare, but only shrugged and brushed past her out the door. Suboshi and Mitsukake gave them questioning looks, but neither interfered once Heero had given them a warning glance.   
  
Heero moved with the swift sureness of someone with a mission and Ayden found that she couldn't keep up to him very well with her ribs bruised the way they were. He made his way out of the underground labrynth, pausing for a moment once he was out in the sunlight again. Then he was off down a path, following some hidden instinct, directly where the carrier had crashed. Ayden simply followed as best she could, but lagged far behind, barely keeping him in view, her hand pressed tightly against her side.   
  
Heavyarms was standing beside the ruined vehicle when they arrived. Apparently Trowa had been determining if they could use the fuel in the Gundam to get them back home, and not having the best of luck. He gave a quick start when he saw Heero walking toward him. He had not expected him to recover so soon, and it startled him. The darker boy climbed up to where Trowa stood on top of the space craft to have some discussion that Ayden couldn't hear. And there was no way she could climb to where they were. She had done good walking the mountain paths. All she could do was watch from her position on the ground, shielding her eyes from the sun.  
  
"Well?" Heero demanded of Trowa once he had safely landed close to the other pilot. "What can be done?" Trowa stood from where he had been checking the engine and other mechanical gadgets of the craft.  
  
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head slowly. "There is no fuel left, and not enough in Heavyarms to get us anywhere."  
  
"Where can we get some?"  
  
"This is an undeveloped planet. We'll need to find a specific type of rock and convert it into fuel. That's the only way, but where we're going to find it I can't even tell where to start."  
  
"We have to get back to the colonies."  
  
"I know, but first we have to go to the capital."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"The people of this land think that Ayden is their priestess. They think she's come to save them from something, no one has given me any details." He shrugged, pacing the top of the craft. "It would be best if we just went along with it for the time being. They don't seem hostile, but that is because they are expecting her to do something."  
  
"And if she cannot comply?"  
  
"I haven't figured that out yet. We aren't sure of what they want her to do. That's why we have to get to the capital. She can appease the natives while we search for what we need." Heero nodded his approval of the plan.   
  
"Then let's get going." He began to slide down to the ground once again.  
  
"Heero," Trowa called after him, gaining himself a cold glance. "You're all right to travel?"  
  
"I'm fine." He leaped to the ground in one smooth motion, gave a side long look to Ayden and went off back in the direction of the underground bandit city. Trowa shook his head before sliding down himself to stand next to Ayden. Her arm was about her ribs gingerly, her eyes looking to him for guidance on what they should do. It made him feel oddly, like she was his responsibility, like he really was her guardian.   
  
"What are we going to do, Trowa?" She asked him, taking an unconscious step closer.   
  
"We're going along with your warriors for right now."  
  
"We're not going to get home are we?"  
  
"How are your ribs?" He answered by not answering, and Ayden decided not to press him. She also tried to encourage her darkening spirits by telling herself that he might not know how to answer yet or perhaps he hadn't heard the question.  
  
"I'm not ready for a trapeze, but I'll make it." She told him. He smiled softly, all his gestures subtle, and for a brief moment he laid his fingertips against her side. The warmth from his hand made her shiver, but he mistook her shudder for pain and quickly shifted so that his arm was about her waist. For a moment she considered stepping away, but enjoyed the feel of him too much to make herself move. -- He feels nothing for you, Ayden-- she reprimanded herself. --He's not doing this because he likes you.-- But no matter what she told herself, it still felt very nice.  
  
Trowa led her back to the bandit city just as Tasuki was leading a proud stepping gelding into the sunlight. Suboshi and Amiboshi were already mounted on twin palomino mares, provision packs strapped to their saddles. Mitsukake stood stoicly beside Chichiri's dancing paint, walking staff in hand, pouches dangling from his belt. A moment later Heero stepped into the sun, the reins of two more horses in his hands. Without a word he placed the lead rope of the taller bay into Trowa's fingers, keeping the grey as his own. Heero jumped into the saddle without the assistance of the stirrup, giving an expectant look to his fellow pilot, who gave a questioning look to Ayden.   
  
"You can ride with me Lady Ayden," Amiboshi beckoned. She knew it was Amiboshi because of the flute at his belt. He had his hand extended toward her, a hopeful expression on his face. Trowa opened his mouth as if to protest, but ended up shrugging in indifference. He mounted without a word, refusing to look at her again, pulling his horse around to stand next to Heero. Ayden supressed a sigh and took a backwards step away, supposing to accept Amiboshi's offer.   
  
"There's room for you here as well, Priestess," the other twin spoke up, giving his brother a challenging glare. Ayden stood still in indecision. She had wanted to ride with Trowa, but it appeared she would have to choose between the two boys. But she knew to do that would turn one against the other. She couldn't appear to have favorites. Not before she really knew any of them. She heard Tasuki give a bark of a laugh, making his horse side step rather nervously. Perhaps she should go with him.  
  
"I have some things to discuss with the priestess, you know," Chichiri's smiling face appeared before her as he guided his mount to her side. "She'll ride with me for right now." He reached down to pull her up in front of him before she could protest, not that she would. She was indeed quite relieved that the choice had been made for her and no fighting would come of it. The twins looked disappointed, but there was no more said on the matter. They took their leave of the city with Mitsukake leading the way. Ayden wondered why he didn't have a horse, but didn't ask. Chichiri was the first to follow, the brothers close behind, Tasuki after them, with Heero and Trowa in perfect step trailing behind everyone to discuss whatever private plans they had to without anyone overhearing.   
  
"What did you need to talk to me about?" Ayden finally whispered the question once the entrance to the underground city could no longer be determined within the camouflage of the rocky mountains.  
  
"I don't really. I just didn't want to start a fight before we ever got started, you know?"   
  
"Could you explain to me about the Celestial Warriors then? We didn't get a chance to last night, and I'd like to have some knowledge of this place before I meet your emperor."  
  
"Our emperor, you know. I guess I always expected the priestess to know about that already, but there really is no reason that you should since you come from another land, you know.  
  
"This land is separated into four cardinal points. North, east, west, south, you know. And each land is governed by a beast god. Ours is Suzaku, the phoenix of the south. Now each cardinal point has seven stars, these are made manifest by the seven warriors. Once the priestess or priest is found and all the warriors are gathered then the beast god can be summoned and three wishes will be given to the summoner. We have been waiting for you   
for a long time so you can wish for peace in the land."  
  
"What exactly is this war, by the way?"  
  
"The Kutou Empire, to the east, governed by Seiryuu, has long wanted the southern lands. Their emperor is fierce tempered and impatient. We know that he has not yet found his priest, but he thinks to conquer Konan simply on strength."  
  
"Rather arrogant of him I'm assuming?"  
  
"Very, but we think that he has found himself a very successful general. We're not sure of anything yet, you know."  
  
"So he will have a priest and seven Celestial Warriors too then?"  
  
"Yes, each land has its own."  
  
"Have we found them all?"  
  
"There is one missing, you know. We can't find him. We were hoping that you could, you know."  
  
"You're one of my warriors then?"  
  
"Yes. Tasuki, Mitsukake, Amiboshi, Suboshi, and myself are all warriors to Suzaku."  
  
"That is only five."  
  
"Well, the emperor is also a warrior, you know. He is Hotohori, the sea snake."  
  
"And we need all seven for the summoning?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How do you know if you are a warrior or not?"  
  
"There are characters that appear somewhere on the body, usually during a time of high emotion." She nodded, letting it all sink in, wondering why she was accepting this so easily. Perhaps she really was the priestess. But if she was, what would become of Trowa and Heero?  
  
They continued through the mountain pathways, Chichiri simply allowing his horse to follow Mitsukake's never faltering form. The jolt of the horse's uneven gait soon took away Ayden's desire for conversation. Chichiri sensed her stiffening in the uncomfortable saddle, and curled a protective arm about her. She turned slightly to look up at him, at his gently smiling face that never seemed to change expression.  
  
"It'll be okay, you know," he said in easy tones. "We'll stop for a rest soon and maybe Mistsukake will be ready to heal your ribs, you know." She nodded, sighing, and leaning back into the fatherly protection of her blue haired warrior. The sound of trotting hooves over rock was barely enough to make her open her eyes to investigate. It was the first flute note that made her smile at Amiboshi who was now riding at their side, guiding the horse with his knees so that he had both hands free for the playing of the instrument. The combination of Chichiri's arms and the healing melody made the ride down the mountain much easier.  
  
"I hope you feel better soon," Amiboshi told her inbetween songs, his eyes reflecting genuine concern for her.   
  
"She'll be all right, you know," Chichiri answered for her as the flute had made her quite drowsy and indifferent to the dull throb about her torso. Amiboshi again raised his flute to his lips, and her eyes closed completely.  
  
"What are you thinking of?" Heero broke into Trowa's thoughts as they rode side by side in the mountain sun. He didn't look up from his focused gaze at the front of the procession, where Ayden rode on Chichiri's paint. It was her that he had been thinking of, but why he hadn't determined just yet. He'd thought she would have chosen to go with him. She knew him the best, yet she was up there with the blue haired doctor of all people. And one of those twins was riding beside them. They made him oddly furious, but he couldn't understand the reason for the hot emotion. They had done nothing to him, yet he felt as if he had to be careful around them, that they would take something precious from him even though he had nothing of value for them to steal. "Trowa." He finally turned his eyes to the other pilot who was searching him as a computer scans for data.   
  
"I was thinking of Ayden," he answered without realizing what he was saying. He had meant to reply with a different statement. That he had been thinking of a means to get themselves back to the colonies. He had been thinking about Quatre, or even Duo or Wufei. He had meant to say that he had been thinking of anything other than what had escaped past his lips. Heero raised a questioning eyebrow. "The prophesy that is," Trowa remidied his subconscious reply.   
  
"What about it?"  
  
"Suppose Ayden really is the one that they are looking for?" Heero snorted.  
  
"Nonsense. To believe that would be beliving in something completely impossible according to laws of nature." And Heero lived by the codes of those laws with every ounce of his being. Trowa shrugged.   
  
"Then how do you explain how you are able to walk this morning Heero?" The Japanese pilot's eyes narrowed at that as he desperately tried to think of an explanation. "Your knee was shattered, and you'd lost so much blood it was a wonder you didn't die in my arms. Yet today you are riding a horse through the mountains, without a scar of any kind. Even your bullet wounds scar, Heero, even if you ignore them. How do you explain this?"  
  
"I don't explain it, and I don't have to believe it either. I just hope that your little dagger toss gives us enough time to think of a way out of here." By dagger toss, Heero was referring to Ayden.  
  
"That I can guarantee." But if it were true, and Ayden did manage to summon Suzaku, whatever that was, couldn't she gain enough power to come up with a way to get them back? Trowa shrugged again at his own thought, turning again to watch as Ayden slept in Chichiri's embrace to the tune of Amiboshi's melody. In any case, her dagger toss would fly true no matter what. He smiled even as his hand fingered the slit she had caused.   
  
Duo ran a frustrated hand through his bangs, biting his lip and asking the same question over and over in his head, "How?" Quatre and he had been traveling to their new station point when they had been caught up in a mysterious blue light and suddenly dropped into this place that was clearly not where they were supposed to be. What kind of a place was this? There was nothing but mountains for miles to any direction. No trees, no houses, no powerlines! Not so much as a radio tower or windmill. Where were they and what were they supposed to do now?   
  
He heard Quatre gasp behind him, and he turned to find a tall stranger coming toward them on horseback. Immediately wary he drew his gun, standing protectively before Quatre who had no weapon. Even with the pistol trained upon his head the unknown man continued his slow advance. His clothes were odd, straight out of a halloween costume party, with large shoulderguards and a long blue cape. His hair was long, blonde, and loose, and from what Duo could tell at the distance, he was smiling.  
  
"Just stop right there," he commanded in his top authoritive voice, shaking the gun just in case the man had missed it. The man, however, seemed to be unconcerned about everything, and his horse kept coming.   
  
"Duo," Quatre whispered in caution, taking an unconscious step backwards.   
  
"Look pal," Duo shouted out, wondering what made this man so indifferent. "We've just been through hell and unless you'd care to follow in our footsteps I suggest you stay where you are." The man's shoulders jerked in what had to be a snicker. It made Duo both angry and a little frightened.   
  
"We're strangers here," Quatre called, always ready to prevent a fight. Quatre hated fighting. "We don't know how we got here, but we'd like to get back. We don't want to fight you. We just want a little help." The horse lifted his head as the stranger reined it in. Quatre gave a sigh of relief, but Duo wasn't all that sure that help was what they were going to get from this costumed warrior. He watched, his grip so hard on the gun that his hand began to shake, as he dismounted in a smooth motion, leaving the reins up, knowing that his mount was so well trained it would remain perfectly in place.   
  
"It is I who should be asking for your assistance, Priest," the man said in a deep rumble of a voice while making a bow. Duo took one hand away from the gun to finger his priest's collar, wondering how to word the fact that he truly wasn't a man of the church. "We've been waiting for you for a long time." The strange thing about it was, the man hadn't been speaking to him in the first place. The priest to whom he was refering was Quatre, though there was nothing priestlike about him.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, sir," Quatre replied, giving Duo a questioning look.   
  
"Come with me, and I'll explain everything on the way."  
  
"Don't think so," Duo intercepted. "We're not going anywhere until we know who you are and where this is." The man dropped humbly to one knee.  
  
"I am nothing but a warrior in your service."  
  
"Your name, man. We don't move without your name." He shook the gun threateningly, but it did not seem to matter.  
  
"Nakago," he looked up, and his ice blue eyes shone with anything but humility. They were so frozen, likeable only to Heero's eyes during a difficult mission, determined, ready for anything, and not willing to have things go against the plan. "Now, come, we need to be returning to the palace." His manner just wasn't right to Duo. Shouldn't he be more surprised that two soldiers had just appeared in the middle of no where? Shouldn't he be more worried about the gun pointed at his head? Shouldn't he be wondering why they were dressed so strangely, or how they had gotten out there so far away from any civilization without a horse? Yet he was acting as if he'd been expecting them, as if they were there answering an invitation. It was unsettling, and suspicious.  
  
"No way," he shook his head, grabbing Quatre's arm and walking backwards, gun still aimed for a perfect shot. "You just get back on that horse and ride off into the sunset, pal. No offense, but I don't trust you at all." A dangerous glint flashed over the ice blue of his eyes, and his hand raised in what might have been a soothing gesture, or something else completely. Eyes narrowed in distrust, Duo continued backwards, but Quatre pulled away from his guiding hand, slumping forward in what might have been exhaustion or pain. Before Duo could take hold of him again, he had fallen to his knees, hands pressed tightly against his heart. Licking his lips in fear Duo brought the gun down to pay more attention to his fallen friend, even though he knew that such a move was dangerous. He just hoped that Nakago's movements would continue to be slow and unconcerned so he would have time to draw it up again should he try anything unexpected.   
  
"Duo," Quatre hissed through clenched teeth. "I can't --" He struggled for a breath, wincing, his strength failing him as he slumped into Duo's support. This wasn't good.   
  
"What seems to be the matter?" Came Nakago's voice in a forced concerned tone.  
  
"Just keep your distance," Duo commanded over his shoulder as he tried to help Quatre up. "I'll take care of it."  
  
"Gently," Quatre breathed the word. Whether he meant Duo should handle him more gently or he should be dealing more gently with Nakago Duo couldn't tell. But he had never been a politician. If Nakago wanted to make friends of them he wouldn't be acting so suspiciously. Duo wasn't planning on giving him any benefit of the doubt.  
  
"Gently yourself," he muttered, his hands massaging his friend's shoulders and arms. "What's wrong?"  
  
"If you'd let me take a look --" Nakago said behind him, and then he heard the footstep grind the gravel of the pathway. It was close enough to set off a complete reaction. He released Quatre, turning and lifting his gun in the same smooth motion. He pulled the trigger at the same moment he thought -- you just overstepped the boundary.--   
  
"Duo!" Quatre's painful shout of surprise brought his eyes back to where he expected to see Nakago's body, his Halloween outfit soaking up his blood. But Nakago still stood in all his terrible serenity, his hand upraised in a globe of blue light. And also in that blue light was Duo's bullet, suspended and rolling slowly within the azure circle. Eyes wide all Duo could do was stare in disbelief. He heard the pistol clatter on the rocks before he realized that he'd dropped it in shock. What was this man that he could stop bullets with his hand?   
  
"Don't be foolish, boy," Nakago smiled. "I just want to help." While Duo stood motionless with shock the taller blonde bent down, picking up Quatre in a smooth, gentle action. The bullet lay harmless on the ground. Quatre sighed peacefully in Nakago's arms, but slumped forward wearily once Nakago had placed him in the saddle of his horse. In another smooth motion, the mysterious man had mounted behind him, holding him about the waist to ensure he wouldn't fall off. Then he looked at Duo.  
  
"Are you coming?" He demanded coldly. "You will be needed as well." Needed? For what? He wouldn't have gone, but the man had Quatre and he couldn't leave him unprotected and hurting like he was.   
  
"Yeah, I'm coming," he grumbled, giving the bullet a careful look as he passed on his way to the horse's side. "But I'd watch myself if I were you. Not everyone can stop a bullet from behind the way they can from the front." Nakago smiled again, as if humoring him. Duo immediately didn't like him. He smiled too much, but it never reached his eyes. Quatre's eyelids fluttered open and closed, and Duo reached up to put his hand on his arm, letting him know he was there and he wouldn't abandon him. The muscles under his fingertips tightened periodically as fresh rivets of pain spasmed through him, and it was in this manner that they made their way to Nakago's city, Kutou.  
  
The moment Quatre was lifted from the saddle he was taken into the arms of yet another stranger, this one more odd than the first. Duo began to protest, but Nakago's arm on his shoulder prevented it. The man now holding Quatre was tall, thin, and snake like. His face was painted with streaks and stripes of white, black, and gold, and his fingernails were long and claw like. Quatre's skin was flushed now, and he murmured feverishly, his eyes closed tightly against whatever pain had taken control of him.  
  
"What's going on?" Duo demanded, struggling against Nakago's grip as the other man carried Quatre away. Splitting up was the worst thing they could do right now. He had to stay with him, especially since he didn't know what was wrong with him yet. "Don't take him away like that!"   
  
"Hush, boy," Nakago hissed in his ear. "We are simply going to care for him. You can go to him later, understand?"  
  
"What do you want with us?" Duo's eyes narrowed and he stopped his struggles, trying to stare the answer out of the strange man. "Why won't you let me go with him? What's wrong with him?"  
  
"He is under Tomo's care, do not fear. The priest will be taken care of better than you are thinking. He is very special, you realize."  
  
"He's not a priest." Duo was waiting now, for the right moment to break away and run after Tomo, or whatever the strange name had been. Nakago ignored him.   
  
"Come," he commanded, still having hold of Duo's arm and now steering him toward an impressive chinese building. "We have an audience with the emperor, and then your questions will be answered." Duo went along, he had no choice, but secretly he kept looking for every opportunity to get away and find his fellow Gundam pilot.  
  
The palace was indeed very nice, though stiff and formal, rather like a fortress. The steps and floors shone, and their footsteps echoed off the white and blue marble. They passed several corridors until they reached the throne room where the emperor of Hokkan was waiting. His palace was intimidating, but he himself was not. He appeared ill experienced and ugly sitting there waiting for Nakago to report. Duo decided that he didn't like him either. He didn't like anything about this place.   
  
"Nakago," the gruff voice said the name as a request. A deep brown eye studied Duo from under shaggy brows, wondering at his strange clothes and arrogant manner. Duo stared right back, his arm tense under Nakago's fingers, waiting for the moment when he could break away.  
  
"I bring before you the sixth Warrior of Seiryu." Though the rest of the court, standing strategically back away towards the sides of the wall gasped at this impressive statement, the emperor was less than thrilled. He frowned slightly, his fingers tapping a slow rhythm on the arm of his throne.   
  
"And what good will that do us?" He asked calmly. "Six warriors, Nakago, do nothing for us without the priest, and in case you have forgotten how to count, we seem to be missing someone. Besides, the boy appears unsuitable for our cause." Nakago's blue eyes narrowed. Duo felt a shudder of dread pass through him. He knew what was coming.   
  
"The priest has been found," Nakago assured his ruler in a soft voice that spoke of challenge. Another ripple of gasps circled the court. Duo's eyes circled with it, trying to see everyone at once, and possible escape routes. This wasn't happening. How had they gotten there first of all? Nakago seemed to know. What was Seiryu? Was that the country perhaps? Or something else? How could he be a warrior when he didn't know where he was or what was going on? And how could Quatre be a priest? Quatre. What was Tomo doing to him? What was wrong with him? And most importantly, how could he get to him?  
  
The emperor was interested now, leaning forward eagerly in his throne. "Indeed," he said, smiling slightly. "You've really found him?" Nakago smiled again, and Duo knew that he was just playing a humble game. He wanted power, and he didn't intend on stopping with what he already had.   
  
"He is with Tomo," he replied, nodding.  
  
"Bring him forth!"  
  
"Unfortunately, such a thing is not possible. The priest appears to be ill and must remain under Tomo's care." The emperor scowled at having his order be tossed aside, and his eyes went back to Duo.  
  
"And this one? You say he's the sixth warrior?" It was as if he needed his dignity back from having made the mistake in commanding that Quatre be brought before him.   
  
"I'm certain."  
  
"A demonstration perhaps? I see no character." The emperor sneered, enjoying his power of Nakago, knowing how much Nakago despised his leader. And he did know, Duo could tell. He knew exactly how much Nakago wished to take his position. This place is so dangerous, he thought. I've got to get Quatre out of here. Nakago bowed, and Duo tensed. He knew what the word demonstration meant for him. A fight with someone. Nakago released his arm, and stepped away. Was it him? Should he even try to play Nakago's game? Maybe if he didn't fight he could convince them all that it was just a big mistake. He wasn't supposed to be here, and he was no warrior.  
  
Yet it was nothing but warrior's instinct that made him crouch down at the last possible second as a whip hissed past his ear. That had come from the wrong direction for it to have been Nakago. Behind him then. His hand automatically went to his gun, but he pulled it away quickly as he turned around. No point in showing them his last trick until he was desperate. Besides, he didn't want to kill his opponent, just get away. Escape was priority, and to escape he needed to get past the woman who was smirking before him, the black whip in her hand. A woman? This was a demonstration of his skill?   
  
"Soi," Nakago barked, and her eyes flashed to him for an instant and an instant only, the command given in that short of time. So her name was Soi, or it might be an order given in the language of this peculiar people. She smiled wickedly, and prettily. She was attractive with her slim, tall, warrior's build. Was she a warrior too?   
  
The whip hissed again and he cartwheeled out of the way, knowing that he would have to dodge over and over for the amusement of the court. But what if he fought back? The black leather snapped out, and Duo was already tired of the game. It was time to end. He didn't dodge this time, but held up his arms, grabbing hold of the whip as it wrapped about his wrist and yanking it with all his strength. The emperor leaned forward once more in wonderment as Duo pulled Soi to her knees, the whip no longer in her hands. The weapon was his, and Soi looked surprised. He looked to the emperor, clenching the whip tightly and ignoring the sting the whip had caused.  
  
"I am not who you think I am," he said in a low dangerous tone. "And I don't belong here." The emperor gave a frightened glance at Nakago, who clapped his hands once. Duo pivoted, just in time to see Nakago rush forward, intent on disarming him or restraining him. Either one was not what Duo had in mind. In desperation he flicked the whip out, his heart beat speeding with what was going on and his wrist burning. It was caught deftly, doing no damage to the blonde general, and he was disarmed as easily as Soi had been. That might have been because Duo's wrist was on fire, or it could have been because Nakago was stronger than Duo had anticipated.   
  
"Enough," Nakago hissed, smiling and coiling the whip into a neat circle. "That will do." Soi stepped to his side to retrieve her whip before slipping back into the shadows of the courtroom walls. As she moved away Duo saw a chinese character glowing a dim blue on her neck. A tattoo? But it was glowing. "Reveal your wrist to the emperor." His wrist? Nakago waited expectantly for him to move. He wouldn't have obeyed the order, but he wanted to look at his wrist. There was no blood, but it burned badly. Stinging more sharply than any wound the whip would have caused. Something was going on.   
  
When he turned over his arm and looked, he heard more than one person in the room gasp, and he was included in that number. A character was glowing there, bright blue and burning. His hand shook. No! How could that be? Was he really one of their warriors? His heartbeat was now throbbing in his ears with fear and he stared at his wrist until his eyes blurred. It doesn't mean anything, he thought. Nakago did something. They can't force me to fight for them because I have this. . .whatever this is. It just isn't possible!  
  
"Congratulations, Nakago," the emperor was eyeing Duo with a twisted affection now, and Duo found himself backing away. Quick Duo, he thought as Nakago went down into a mocking bow. Now! The word in his mind was like his own gunshot and he sprinted out of the doors before anyone could prevent him. He had to find Quatre. Had to get him out of this place before they were trapped for good. Had to get him home, back to the colonies. They didn't belong here.  
  
Shouts persued him down the darkened corridors, but they grew distant as he ran on. He ducked into rooms, hoping with each door that he would open it to Quatre. Where would they have taken him? The middle rooms of course. Always keep prisoners in the middle rooms, as far away from exists as possible. That's where they would put him.   
  
He thanked his tracking abilities when he finally opened the door to the right room. Quatre was there, apparently asleep on a small bed in the corner. His breathing was shallow, and his eyes tightly closed. Duo tip toed up to him, scanning the room for Tomo, though he was no where in sight.   
  
"Quatre, oye, Quatre," he tapped the blonde boy's shoulder gently, though even that caused him to flinch. "We don't have much time, and I'm not leaving without you." He had a sudden wish, a desperate wish, that Heero or Trowa were there with him. They could get out easily then. The only thing he had to depend on to get him out of here was his own sneaking talents. But could he carry Quatre? It didn't look good for him. For either of them, really, but worse for Sandrock's pilot. What was wrong with him? He'd been fine until. . .until Nakago had shown up.  
  
Aqua eyes were staring up at him now, sleepy and confused. He smiled in relief and helped Quatre up to a semi-sitting position. It made the other boy wince with some unknown pain, and he whimpered softly.   
  
"How are you feeling?" Duo whispered, eyes still scanning for Tomo and his ears straining for footsteps in the outside corridor. Beneath his fingers, he felt Quatre trembling and also the heat of fever. "Can you walk?" Quatre shook his head slowly, slumping against Duo as he was too weak to move for himself. He couldn't even speak, and his eyes were soon closed once more. Duo bit his lip, tugging Quatre up. He'd have to carry him, somehow, and get back. He knew that Quatre was too weak for this, that he should have help, but help provided by the people of Seiryu, or whatever this place was, was not the kind of help that Duo wanted.   
  
"That is not advisable," came a hissing voice, causing Duo to jerk his head around to see Tomo, standing very calmly by the door. "The priest should not be moved right now. To do so would prove unwise for his health." Duo tightened his hold on his friend, who moaned softly.   
  
"What's wrong with him?" He demanded, knowing that he couldn't get away, but at least wanting to know why Quatre was in such pain. Tomo made an oddly comforting, soothing gesture and Quatre was quiet once more, his muscles relaxing.   
  
"A fever," the strange, painted man said calmly, studying Duo with a strange glint in his eyes. Duo wasn't sure what kind of a look it was supposed to be, but it was strangely frightening. "A high fever."  
  
"But what caused it? He was fine!" Tomo shrugged.   
  
"Who can say? I will care for him." Duo opened his mouth to ask another question, but the door opening made it catch in his throat. Nakago stood there, formidable and evil. Evil? Yes, Duo was sure of it. No one else could smile like that. No one who had any goodness about them. Even the OZ soldiers he had faced could not smile that way. It made his skin prickle.   
  
"Well done," Nakago growled, piercing Duo with his frozen glare. "You've proven yourself to the emperor." Duo swallowed, standing away from Quatre, allowing him to fall back on the pillows. Tomo hurried from the door to lay one hand on the blonde's forehead. It made Quatre sigh. "But you're unwilling to cooperate with me aren't you?"  
  
"I don't know anything about you," Duo hissed. "I don't know anything about this place." The smile never moved, but the cold eyes never changed either.   
  
"Then let me give you an explanation." He took hold of Duo's shoulder, and steered him out of the room, leaving Quatre behind with Tomo. "We are warriors of Seiryu, you and I. It is our duty to protect the priest, your friend. It is also our duty to protect the land of Seiryu from those who would control it. Even now to the south, the warriors of Suzaku are being gathered. Perhaps they have found their priestess as we speak. We must attack them before they reach us, to protect our fair land. Understand?" Duo understood, but the explanation rang false. Whatever Nakago was intending with gathering warriors, it was not to protect his land, but to control other lands. Nakago wanted power, that was obvious, and Duo wanted no part in his games. "I have use of you."  
  
"How did you bring us here?" He was sure of this now. It had been Nakago that had caused the conduit of blue light that had ripped them from their world and into this nightmare. It had been Nakago.   
  
"Seiryu brought you here. It is part of the beast god's plan." Duo didn't say anything to this, only twisted out of the general's grasp. Wriggling free and darting down another hall. I'm sorry, Quatre, he thought. I'll have to come back for you later. Unfortunately, down that other hall, rushing straight for him, was the largest wolf that Duo had ever seen. He stopped short, staring at it in disbelief. What was an animal as dangerous as that doing in a royal palace? Duo tensed for an attack.  
  
"Ashtare," Nakago's gruff voice sounded directly behind him. "Back." The wolf whined, cringing before the man and retreating the other way. Duo blinked, ready to sprint off again, but Nakago had him once more.   
  
"I see we cannot come to an understanding," Nakago sneered. His hand pressed into Duo's   
neck, and the world went dark.   
  
When Duo once again returned to his senses, he found his arms chained above him. The area was enclosed completely, save for an arrow slit far up along the dark wall that made for a sliver of moonlight to creep inside. It glittered off a pool of standing water in the center of what must be his cell. Nakago had won. Quatre was unprotected and sick, and he was trapped. 


	3. The Emperor

Part 3: The Emperor  
  
Beautiful, was the first thing Ayden thought of as the little company entered the palace courtyard. It spread out to either side in lovely Chinese style, a flight of steps covered in red carpet leading up to the main entrance. The gate had two large bronze statues of perched phoenixes, tails sweeping downward to beckon any who wished to enter. Fountains whispered excitedly in the yard, echoed by the guards and nobles who were standing about. All eyes turned to the band, more specifically to Ayden who was riding at the head on Chichiri's paint, and then to Trowa and Heero. Murmurs followed them like shadows, pieces of "the priestess" and "she's finally here" floated up and around them, and by the time they were all inside the gate the emperor himself was standing at the top of the staircase robed in scarlet glory.  
  
Chichiri leaped from off the horse, allowing the reins to dangle as he bowed before the emperor. Mitsukake was already in a kneeling position, and Amiboshi and Suboshi were moving identically to follow the healer's action. Tasuki gave a cry of "your highness!" as he ungracefully slid out of the saddle. Heero remained mounted, but Trowa was suddenly at her side, reaching up to take the paint's reins. His hand reached up for hers to help her dismount. She slipped down easily into his arms, smiling immaturely at him. He didn't say anything, and as soon as she was safely out of the saddle he took his hands away and stepped back.   
  
"Welcome to my palace, priestess," came the royal invitation of the emperor, making her turn her attention away from Trowa and back to what was going on. All of her warriors, that sounded so odd, her warriors, were kneeling now and she wondered if she should do the same. No, he had his hand extended. Oh why hadn't she asked Chichiri the protocol of this place? "We have awaited you."  
  
The trek up those red carpeted steps was so long Ayden was sure she'd never reach the man at the top. She had to fight not to look over her shoulder at her kneeling warriors, wanting to see Trowa and Heero, wanting to know if they were kneeling too. Fighting herself every two steps to keep herself from running back down, grabbing Trowa's hand, mounting that horse and galloping off into the mountains, back to the Gundam and seeing how far it would take them on however much fuel was left, if any.   
  
"Whatever I have is yours," came a whispered voice that made her realize that she had finally gotten to the top. The emperor, the emperor himself, had just offered her anything! She trembled with a strange mixture of fear and excitement. Up close she noticed just how beautiful the emperor was. His eyes, she didn't know where she found the courage to look into them, were sparkling gold. His smile, that was how she'd found the courage, was soft and friendly. He took her hand and raised it to his lips in a courtly gesture. She felt herself blush. Had Trowa seen that?   
  
"Thank you, Majesty," she stuttered, unsure if that was the appropriate response. He was smiling expectantly. What did he want her to do? The entire court was holding its breath collectively. They were waiting too. But waiting for what? Should she kneel like the others? Say something? Do a tap dance? She looked up to the emperor for help, but he only smiled encouragingly. She bit her lip, then glanced over her shoulder, meeting the eyes of all the court.   
  
Just as she was about to ask the emperor exactly what everyone was waiting for she heard the voice of Chichiri ring out over the tense silence. "Long live the priestess, you know!" The court erupted into applause and she turned to beam at the blue haired man. She made a mental note to thank him for that when she saw him next. He stood, smiling at her, his hand raised in a fist. Tasuki did the same, making it a sort of pledge. Amiboshi and Suboshi, mirror images of each other, repeated the gesture. Mitsukake nodded as he rose his fist high above the others. Even Heero, though the action was stiff, raised his own clenched hand up. But Trowa, her own, sweet Trowa, was standing beside his horse, his hands at his sides, eyes focused oddly on the emperor. What was he thinking? There was nothing else about his stance to give her any clues. She turned to ask the emperor if she could go back down to him, to ask him what was wrong, but she never got the chance.   
  
"Come with me, Lady Ayden," the emperor whispered, offering her his arm. "We have much to talk about." The doors shut out the sound of excited applause, the warriors of Suzaku, and Trowa, completely.  
  
If the outside of the palace was incredible the inside was inspiring. Scarlet carpets ran trails down the halls, the ceiling rose high in gilded splendour. In the center of the court, a phoenix fountain gurgled faintly, the only sound in the place. Ayden gaped about her, at the gilded throne, at the carvings on the walls, and then back at the emperor himself. She found him gazing at her with the same sort of awe that she knew must be on her face. Smiling nervously, she clawed her blonde hair away from her face, aware once again that she was indeed the only blonde girl in the entire country. Once she got over her relief of being away from the crowd, she was again nervous as to how to act around the emperor. Was this to be an informal meeting? She decided to remain on her tip-top best behavior until she could get back to Trowa. She could be herself around him, at least, she thought she could.   
  
The emperor led her to a small room toward the left of the throne, a secret door that could not be seen in the perfect camoflauge of the scarlet wall. Inside the room were only two small cushions on the floor. The emperor took one, settling himself on his heels in a perfect example of what a Chinese leader should look like. With an elegant gesture he held his hand out to the other cushion, indicating she should also take a seat. Stiffly, she lowered herself, realizing that her ribs had begun aching again. No time to worry about that though, she was alone in a secret room with the leader of an undiscovered country. And a circus girl had no idea how to act around royalty, and when one got right down to it, priestess or no, she was nothing but an acrobat.   
  
At first there was no speaking, she didn't know what she was supposed to do or say, and he wasn't in a hurry to give her any information. He just sat there, looking at her. Every once in a while she would look up into his golden eyes, only to blush and look hurriedly down again. He was so beautiful, but it made her guilty to think that. Then it made her blush because she felt guilty that she thought that a beautiful man was indeed beautiful. And it was then that she discovered that she didn't understand herself at all, and the silence went on.  
  
"I can't believe you're actually sitting across from me," the emperor finally whispered in a rich tenor voice. She looked at her hands resting on her knees, and felt herself blush again. The shadow that fell on the floor from the candle behind him made her see him shake his head. "You're so beautiful." She turned as crimson as the carpet.  
  
"Thank you, Majesty," she stuttered, wondering why putting together three words was such a difficult task all of a sudden. "But I don't know why I'm here or what I'm supposed to do."   
  
"Hotohori, Lady Ayden," he corrected gently. "I am yours, not the other way around. To them I am the emperor, to you I am your warrior." He reached an elegant hand up to pull at the collar of his scarlet robes to reveal a red Chinese character tattooed into his neck. It was that signal that made all her doubt drop away. Everything that had been said to her was true. And the way she could feel the energy from that Chinese character, she also knew that she was supposed to stay here and fulfill the prophesy.   
  
"Okay," she murmured, eyes fixed on the character. Hotohori looked puzzled. "I'll do it. I'll be your priestess. Only. . ." He raised an eyebrow. "I need some daggers." He smiled.  
  
"That can be arranged," he sounded amused. "And then we can get started." She had no idea what he meant by started, but figured it might be safer to just nod and ask Chichiri later. He seemed to have all the answers, and be willing to share. Besides, she didn't want to appear stupid in front of the emperor, especially since she had just admitted that she was indeed the priestess he had been waiting for. They all had such perfect faith in her. Hotohori looked on her as if he expected her to glow with some angelic glory, or fly away. There was no way she could disappoint him by asking what she was supposed to start. She shifted uncomfortably on the cushion, trying to find a position that would ease her aching ribs. Hotohori, intent on every move she made, noticed it immediately.  
  
"Is something wrong, Lady Ayden?" He questioned anxiously, a hand outstretched as if he wanted to touch her, but holding back as if afraid of hurting her. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him about her injury, but he didn't let her speak. "But of course, I've been rather rude bringing you here first without allowing you to rest and eat. Come, we will rejoin the others and you may refresh yourself." He rose, a graceful sliding motion upwards, and she found herself oddly admiring the strength of the emperor's knees. As a typical performer, she always watched the way people moved. And the way the emperor moved reminded her of a snake. Not the way one usually thinks of snakes, no, he was far too kind for that sort of connotation. No, just the way he moved, every part of his body as one, everything graceful, smooth, and slow. Yes, Hotohori was a snake. . .but a good one. He offered his hand to her to help raise her from the cushion, apologizing again for his inconsideration. She didn't mind the assistance, her ribs hurt enough that she probably needed it, but he kept her hand on his arm, escorting her as all proper gentlemen should, all the way to the parlor.  
  
At least, she thought it might be a parlor. It was as large as the entire big top tent, with another phoenix fountain gurgling pleasantly in the center. Around the room were placed cushions of various colors and sizes, and small tables piled high with platters of fruit. She thought it was fruit anyway. Like the rest of the palace, all the walls were a dazzling scarlet, while the floors were a sand scrubbed white. All of her warriors, she found that term coming easier to her now, were seated on cushions about the room. The moment she entered, Trowa stood quickly from where he was kneeling next to Heero. . until he saw Hotohori behind her. Then he took a step backwards and went back down to the floor. Heero looked up, nodded, and then returned to his conversation with Trowa. . .whatever it was they were talking about.  
  
"Ah, there you are, you know," Chichiri spoke up from where he seemed to be giving the twins a lecture of some kind. "We've been waiting for you, Priestess." The twins looked up with eager eyes, hopeful eyes. And Mitsukake looked at her with concerned and knowing eyes. "And you too, emperor. We need to make preparations for the journey, you know." Hotohori nodded sagely, coming to join the blue haired warrior. Just as he sat down, Mitsukake stood up, coming to Ayden's side and placing a cool hand on her ribs.   
  
"Come over here," he commanded in his soft, gentle voice. "We'll let them talk for a moment while I heal your poor ribs. I've only just received my power back after your guardian. . ." he looked behind his shoulder, but Heero was not paying attention. Trowa, however, was, and immediately came over to them as if Mitsukake had summoned him. He sat down next to Ayden, closer than Hotohori had been. She heard herself sigh. Trowa was back, and next to her, and it was all right.  
  
Warm, green light poured into her from Mitsukake's hand, easing the ache, fading it into nothing. He really was a healer; his power was real. She gasped as her fatigue vanished into the green light and evaporated away. As the green light dimmed, she finally saw the character on the palm of Mitsukake's hand. That was her signal. This was how she would know them. They all must have one. Hotohori on his neck, Mitsukake on his hand. She looked up at Trowa, wondering if he could be one of the warriors too. As the pain faded she found herself marveling at Mitsukake's strange power once again. He had healed Heero when he was at the point of death, and now he had healed her. She looked up to find him smiling gently down at her.  
  
"You can heal anything," she muttered in awe. Of course she had seen him heal Heero, but it made it more real to have him heal herself. He just smiled, gave a knowing look to Trowa, and rose to join Chichiri and the emperor.   
  
"What did he do?" Trowa sounded almost worried, watching her as if he expected her to fall apart. Indeed she had never felt better in her life, but she had had more explained to her than Trowa had.   
  
"It's ok, Trowa," she assured him. "He's a healer. He won't hurt anyone." Trowa still looked doubtful. "He was the one that healed Heero." Trowa bit his lip, his hands nervously playing with the lace of the shirt they had given him. "So what are we doing, Trowa?" She had been away from them for a long time, they must have talked over this whole thing by now.  
  
"We're going along with you. We're your guardians, for now. They have the advantage here, so we're going to have to follow until we can find a way home. Do they still believe you are the priestess?"  
  
"More than ever." She wanted to tell him that she believed it too. That she really was the priestess. She wanted to tell him that she could feel the life energy of every person in the room. She could feel Tasuki's discomfort at being in the fine palace. She could feel Chichiri's concern over the details of the journey, and Hotohori's for the safety of his people. Mitsukake's weariness from healing her was there faintly. Even the twins' energy was there, excited and vibrant. She could even feel Heero's distrust. She could feel them in her body, pulsing through her. All of them were there. Everyone except the person she should feel closest to. Everyone was there in her head, except the one sitting right next to her. She couldn't feel Trowa. His feelings were sealed, foreign and cold. Didn't he feel? She shook her head. Of course he could feel, more than Heero if she guessed right. So why wasn't he in her head too? Why was he closed off? Maybe it was a gradual thing. She hadn't been able to feel any of them when she'd first arrived, and now they were all there. Maybe it would take a little longer before she could feel Trowa too. That must be it. That's all it was.  
  
Trowa's low growl brought her from her puzzled thoughts. What now? She looked up and saw Hotohori coming over to them. Was Trowa jealous of the emperor? Or was he noticing something that she hadn't and didn't trust him? But why wouldn't he trust him?  
  
"Lady Ayden," the emporer. "Are you ready to join us?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Trowa's glare, saw the coldness in his expression. She was going to have to be careful in both relationships if she wanted to keep them. Respect for the emperor, and gentleness for Trowa, and that's all she could do.   
  
"Yes," she gave Trowa a smile. "We're ready to discuss what we'll do now, Majesty." He looked ready to correct her use of the appellation, but one glance at Trowa and he closed his mouth before saying a word. In a nervous group they made their way over to Chichiri and the twins where the emperor offered her a seat next to him with a gracious and elegant sweep of his hand. And once she had sat down, Trowa immediately folded his long legs crosslegged right next to her. Chichiri gave them all a knowing stare and smile, then he shook his head and spread a map in the center of the circle.   
  
"Kutou is congregating in large groups around us here, you know," he pointed to a boundary with a finger, tracing along. "The emperor wouldn't be doing that if he had everything he needed to win, so we have a little time. But we must be very careful, you know. If he thinks we have more than they do then he will bring down every soldier he has into the capital, you know."  
  
"The coward," Tasuki growled, hand clenched. Heero nodded his agreement to the statement from his standing position behind the scarlet haired bandit. "He knows there will be no way we can raise enough forces to match him, not even if we take every able bodied man from fifteen to sixty!"  
  
"We can't do anything without the last warrior," Suboshi murmured as he watched the invisible enemy line surrounding the eastern boundary of the land of Konan. "But now that you're here," he paused to give Ayden a hopeful smile. "We should be able to find him in no time." Chichiri shook his head no.  
  
"We need some help, you know," he said. "We can't just march out of the capital and announce that we're searching for the last warrior. If we let them know that the Miko is here then we won't be out the gate before the entire army is on us. Konan is too large. We wouldn't even get started before someone would find out. And how long do you think it will take for them to execute her?" Ayden felt a shiver run through her. Execution? She was the priestess, of that she was sure, but now she wasn't sure that she really wanted to be. Trowa's hand clenched and he moved it closer to her without seeming to be aware of the motion. She looked down at it, then up at him, finding him staring at her intently with such an expression in his eyes that it was clearly read that he would protect her as best he possibly could. It was comforting, if slightly.  
  
"So what do you suggest, Chichiri?" Hotohori questioned in a deep voice. "How do we make a search without any interference?"  
  
"Well, we can't conduct a poll, you know. No advertisement. I'd suggest making a visit to Taitskun. She'll be able to help us." Suboshi snorted, gaining himself a disapproving look from Chichiri.  
  
"What good will she do us if we can't find her?" He defended his outburst.  
  
"What choice do we have?" Amiboshi asked his brother, fingering his flute nervously. "We can't put Lady Ayden in danger, or the capital," he blushed as he looked at the emperor and added the last. "And if he's grouping his forces he doesn't mean to wait long before attacking anyway, even if he hasn't found his Miko. We have to move fast and silent."  
  
"Any relative location known for Taitskun?" Heero questioned softly, yet with enough purpose in his voice to make everyone turn to consider him seriously. "Or are we moving blind again?" Ayden forced her mouth to close. Heero was going to help them! He wanted to be a part of their mission. Chichiri cleared his throat to hide his surprise.  
  
"That is the problem, you know," he began slowly. Everyone spoke carefully around Heero, Ayden was finding out. "The mountain of Taitskun moves around, you know. It's never in the same place twice."  
  
"And what exactly is she supposed to do for us that would be more profitable than conducting the search?" Heero still stood stoicly with arms folded, a formidable presense.  
  
"She has Suzaku's scroll in which is documented characteristics of all of the Bird God's warriors," Chichiri explained softly. "Once we have that scroll we will be in a better position to find the last warrior. It won't take as long and we'll have more time to prepare ahead of Kutou's army. And the scroll also contains the spell needed to summon Suzaku."  
  
"And have you ever been to this mountain?"  
  
"Once."  
  
"And where was it when you found it?" Chichiri licked his lips and pointed to country just beyond the boundary of Kutou enemy. Hotohori closed his eyes and Tasuki groaned loudly. But Heero just nodded.  
  
"Then we'll head that way and she'll find us. Trowa and I will go, along with you, you, and you." He had chosen Chichiri, Tasuki, and Suboshi as his traveling companions.  
  
"I'm going too," Ayden chimed in before she knew what she was saying. She didn't want to walk into danger, necessarily, but she also didn't want to stay at the palace with the emperor and without Trowa.  
  
"And I," Hotohori nodded determinedly, but Heero shook his head.  
  
"You're needed here to run your kingdom and make preparation for war, Sire," he explained in such a matter of fact tone that not even the emperor could dispute with him. "And as for you," he looked at Ayden and she knew there would be no way she could argue her way into going once he had put the final argument towards the negative.  
  
"She has to come, you know," Chichiri broke in, the only one brave enough to interrupt Heero. "Who else would be able to read the writing of Suzaku? Who else would recognize the last warrior when she found him?" He shook his head. "None of us can do that, you know. She'll have to come."  
  
"You can't take Suboshi without me," Amiboshi suddenly said once it was sure that Ayden was going. "We work in a twin set. Besides, that will bring it to the lucky number seven like it always should be." Heero looked about ready to protest the number. In fact, Ayden didn't doubt that he probably could have found the mountain and translated the script alone, but was simply taking them along for sake of appearances. Yet he eventually nodded his agreement to the addition.  
  
"Seven then." His attention then turned to the emperor. "We'll need horses and provisions and weapons. We'll leave tonight."  
  
"As you say," the emperor agreed, then rose in a graceful motion, as if this new plan had been his idea all along. "Lady Ayden, if you would come with me. I'd like to discuss something further with you." He gave a deadly glance in Trowa's direction, then raised an uncertain-looking Ayden to her feet. They had gone together before Trowa could say anything in protest.  
  
He watched her leave on the arm of the most powerful man in the kingdom. He was nothing to the power of the throne, he knew. He was nothing to her in the first place except a target. But hadn't she called herself his partner? Or didn't that mean anything now that they were here, far from the circus grounds? Words were only sounds. Almost useless really when it came down to truth. But the way her laughter echoed down the hall and back to him once she was out of sight was far more powerful than anything she might have said. He shook his head. They barely knew each other! And yet. . .that man. . .with her. . .Trowa felt his hand clench tightly.  
  
"Better take care what you look at with that kind of expression," Heero's voice whispered the caution in his ear. A gentle elbow in his side made him unclench his hand and give Heero his attention. Heero's knowing eyes were also following the path that Ayden and the emperor had taken from the room, but when he turned to look at Trowa there was a faint trace of amusement to them as well. It was surprisingly embarrassing.  
  
"What do you mean?" Trowa hid his shame by pretending to be very interested in watching Chichiri fold the map. Heero switched to Japanese since the twins were very close and looking rather eager to listen in.  
  
"I mean you should remember who that man is and where we are before you worry on whether he's courting her or not. Once we leave the city you'll have her all to yourself. We owe him a lot, remember. He took us in readily and without question. Now is not the best time to get into a possession battle, especially when she hasn't made her choice yet." For the first time since he had met him, Trowa hated Heero's observation abilities. And what would he know about it anyway? Trowa hadn't even figured out his feelings himself yet. What would make Heero so knowledgeable on the subject? What did he mean she hadn't made her choice? What choice? Heero the unfeeling was giving him advice on how to feel. . .it was utter nonsense. So to save face he decided on the best possible course of action, changing the subject.  
  
"Maybe we should both worry less about me and more about what we're going to be doing. I know you can get across any boundary you like and not think twice, but seven people with horses? How are you going to manage it?" Any topic change was a good one and even though Heero raised a quick eyebrow he eventually shrugged and said nothing more about Ayden and the emperor.  
  
"You won't have to worry so much about the secrecy. I want you to protect Ayden, and have Tasuki with you. He seems to be a good fighter and I doubt you'll have any problems with him as you would with the twins." Tasuki looked up from the other side of the room as he heard his name in the jumble of Japanese. He smiled broadly, bowed, and went back to talking with Mitsukake. Yes, Heero was definitely right about him. He was always on alert, and he did seem very quick and worthy of praise in a fight. And he was older and more experienced than the twins. Tasuki as a companion was an excellent choice.  
  
"Fine," he agreed. "But what will you be doing?"  
  
"Duo isn't the only one who can make himself invisible. If he can hide a Gundam from all radar that OZ controls, then I can hide seven warriors on horseback from an army." And that was all Trowa could get him to say of the matter. With a normal person that would mean that they had no clue how to accomplish the goal, but this was Heero. He had the plan already mapped out in perfect detail, right down to the last muddy hoofprint. Heero gave him a last nod and then went over to Chichiri to ask him for the map to study more carefully, leaving Trowa to himself.  
  
"It really is a beautiful language," whispered an awe filled voice somewhere to his right. Deciding he didn't really want to think anymore, he turned to find Amiboshi seated on a scarlet cushion, looking up at him with wonderment. "It was spoken here once, but we've lost the lore from that age." He seemed disappointed. "I was wondering," his words grew rapid and he splurted out the last in a rush. "I was wondering if you could teach me."  
  
"Heero is better at it than I am," Trowa muttered, wondering how he had gotten into this in the first place. "It is not my native language."  
  
"But you know it. I'd be willing to pay for my lessons, and it is going to be a long trip to the border. Won't you teach me?" Teaching Japanese was the last thing Trowa had ever suspected he would be doing, but Amiboshi looked so earnest and genuine about wanting to learn, and it was a useful thing to know.  
  
"Why do you want to learn so badly?" He had to know at least this before he would agree. Amiboshi turned scarlet.  
  
"I was hoping," he faltered, looking down at the embroidery of the cushion. "That if I knew it. . .then maybe the Lady Ayden." Trowa groaned and turned to leave by the nearest door he found, which happened to lead into an open courtyard. Did everyone want her attention? Granted she was special, but shouldn't she belong. . .No, wait, he stopped himself thinking that. She didn't belong to anyone, so technically she was free to do as she pleased. But did he really want to teach the boy a language for no other purpose than to impress a girl?  
  
"Trowa! Wait!" He stopped short, but didn't turn around. "I know you're closer to her than I'd ever be, but for my entire life I've always wanted to be with her. I want to know everything about her and where she came from, and that includes the language. I'll never come between you, I promise, but please, won't you teach me so I can at least say a proper good-bye when you leave?"  
  
"You don't need an entire language to say good-bye!" Trowa was feeling marvelously vicious, and taking out frustrations on Amiboshi was doing wonders for him. Even though he really wanted to be taking them out on Hotohori. "What's the real reason?" Amiboshi blushed again, and fingered the flute at his belt.  
  
"I wrote a song for her," he finally explained in a half whisper. "But it doesn't have any words yet because I wanted them to be in your language to make it special." He was almost crying, and it made Trowa realize how important Ayden was to these people. She carried all their hope in her smile. She carried all their lore and prophesy in her accent. He found that he couldn't even tell the boy that she didn't even know Japanese because of what it would do to his hope. Trowa knew what it was like to have all hope stored in something. He knew what it felt like to have it taken away. He didn't want anyone to have to go through that, even someone he didn't know.  
  
"Fine then, but in return," Amiboshi looked hopeful. "I want you to teach me how you play the flute like you do." He smiled happily and quickly brought out a small knife.  
  
"You hollow out an apple branch while we start." Trowa was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to laugh. It was safe here, and Amiboshi was certainly no one who he should feel threatened by. In fact, the way the boy's eyes followed him with such admiration as he secured a suitable apple branch, he was certain that they might even end up as friends. Perhaps staying here wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps they were brought here for a reason. Either way, he was not going to fight it anymore.   
  
He was just teaching Amiboshi the basics of grammar and simple greetings while carving away at the branch when the unmistakable sound of a dagger thwacking into wood cut his "konnichi wa" up short. Amiboshi considered him, waiting for him to continue. Trowa was on his feet, the branch left behind but the small knife still in his hand. There were no screams, but still the sound of weaponry made him again uneasy. He was supposed to be protecting Ayden, and that meant from everything, even a threat from within the palace grounds.   
  
"What is it?" Amiboshi was suddenly next to him, his head cocked as he listened for whatever Trowa had heard. Trowa motioned him to be silent with a hand, the other still holding the dagger. The sound came again, this time with a small shout. He knew where it was coming from now. . .just over the wall.   
  
Amiboshi was still looking at him, half in awe and half as though Trowa had lost all sense. Trowa, however, was paying no attention to him. He was concentrating on the wall. With only a few steps backward he launched himself up, landing in a crouch at the top. He took swift aim and let the dagger fly, ready to jump down and continue to fight if by some odd chance he had missed.   
  
There was a clank of colliding metal as his dagger was thrown off course. It fell harmlessly into the dirt. It was then that Trowa saw who he had been aiming at. The emperor was standing in the courtyard, and Ayden only a little ways away. The sounds he had heard had been her, practicing her aim with her own new daggers. What he had taken for an attack had been no more than a practice session. And what's worse, he had almost injured Hotohori. If he hadn't drawn his sword so quickly there would have been no chance for him.   
  
"Trowa!" Ayden screamed his name and he looked down at her. She was standing in shocked horror at what he had done. Indeed, he was shocked at himself. Surely he should have more control of himself than this. Intending to apologize, he dropped down on their side of the wall, landing in what he hoped would be taken as a humble kneel. Ayden was beside the emperor now, her hand on his arm as she studied his face. Was she so concerned over him? Trowa hadn't hit him. He'd done marvelously in defending himself, that was certain.   
  
"What is the meaning of this?" Hotohori asked nodding at the fallen knife. Trowa looked up, looked at the shock on Ayden's face. That alone was what made him ashamed.   
  
"Reflex, Your Majesty," he muttered in his defense. "I heard the daggers and suspected something. I let fly before I thought, and you have my deepest apologies." The emperor looked on him as if he had lost his mind.  
  
"He means you no harm, Hotohori," Ayden was now intent on bringing Trowa back into favor. "I assure you. From where we're from Trowa is a great fighter, and as most warriors do he often acts before his mind can catch up to what is happening. It's been trained into him so intensely that I wouldn't doubt him springing to action when he hears anything like a fight." The emperor gazed at Ayden; Trowa's heart raced, but he held still in the kneeling crouch with head bowed against the sight.  
  
"Is your world so harsh that it needs such fighters?" His voice dripped with sympathy.  
  
"Right now it is, but not forever."  
  
"How bold of you to leave your world of war for another world just as fierce. You are both strengthened in my eyes." Trowa stayed still until he could no longer hear the footsteps of the emperor. In the end he decided it all worth it just to be alone with Ayden.  
  
She, however, didn't share his opinion. In fact, she looked as though she wanted to slap him, or throw that knife straight at him. Her eyes flashed like the glint of the blade, and he wondered if he dared even stand up. Truly, he hadn't meant to anger anyone against him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" She hissed softly, bending to pick up the dagger he had thrown. "Do you mean to get yourself executed? I'm sure there's some 'punishable by death' law about drawing a weapon on the emperor. Or had you forgotten who he is?" No, thought Trowa. I seem to be reminded who he is at every turn. There is no way I could possibly forget now.  
  
"Ayden, I. . " he paused, hating that look in her eye. Hating the disapproval of her gaze. "I'm sorry." She sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"I guess it doesn't matter. I think he's forgiven you this time, but please Trowa, try to remember where you are and what we're doing here." She knelt beside him, tucking Amiboshi's knife back into his hand and stroking her fingers over the slit at his temple. He bent his head down, unable to look at her for the shame he had caused her.  
  
"Oh, Trowa," she whispered next to him. "If only we could get out of this place. I'm sorry for bringing us here." He raised his eyes, trying to find some small word of comfort for her. She was just as alone here as he was, possibly even more so. They expected so much out of her. He opened his mouth, hoping that something would find its way out of it.   
  
"There you are, you know," rang a sweet tenor from the shadowed entryway of the palace. "We've been looking for you. Come on, we need to make preparation for the journey, you know." Trowa shot a glare at poor Chichiri. Not that he had been able to say anything, but still.  
  
"What is needed?" Ayden asked as she stood in a graceful sweep of her new clothes. In another second she was far away from Trowa and walking back into the palace with her blue haired warrior.   
  
"Just you." Trowa followed at a little distance, watching her every movement and wondering why he couldn't say anything when in her presence.   
  
When they arrived back in the meeting area, everyone was there already. Even Amiboshi had abandoned his courtyard and was now standing next to his brother, waiting. Trowa decided to be safe and stand next to Heero. The Japanese pilot acknowledged him with a quick nod. Once Trowa was in place, Heero gave the group a quick lookover. Hotohori was no where in the company, and Trowa was just as glad.  
  
"The sun is setting," Heero announced, watching everyone at once. "We'll be off very shortly. Everyone is to understand that I am in charge of this mission and my authority is not to be questioned in anything. Is that clear?" Several nervous nods from the company. "All right. Once we get clear of the capital gates we're fair game to the enemy. Chichiri is going to lower our life force to avoid unneccessary attention. Tasuki and Trowa are to protect Ayden so no going off without either of them." Ayden nodded solemnly as Tasuki stepped behind her. He put a quick hand on her shoulder. If he had been anyone else, Trowa would have been enraged, but as it was Tasuki he didn't even acknowledge the action. "As for you two," he pinned the twins with one vicious stare. "Keep alert and ready. I'm going to need you both later. . especially your flute." Amiboshi turned bright red, but bowed in ready acceptance of the unknown mission. Heero stood with arms folded, surveying them all one last time.  
  
"Let's get going," he commanded and led them out of the room. He moved as one who had lived in the palace all of his life, having memorized every turn they had taken to get into the room. He now led them deftly and without error into the front courtyard, where six horses were standing. Trowa recognized the tall bay he had ridden into the city and immediately went to it. The horse remembered him too and nuzzled his shoulder fondly.   
  
"Lady Ayden," came Hotohori's unmistakable voice from the entrance to the palace. Trowa watched her turn quickly and hurry to his side. He knew he was glaring as he watched the emperor drape Ayden in a concealing brown cloak and pull her close into a tight embrace. What was he saying to her that made her flush like that? When he finally released her, she met Trowa's eyes and flushed ever redder. She looked to the ground with a guilty expression. What had the emperor said to her?   
  
"Ayden," Heero called her back down to the horses. Tasuki was already in the saddle, his horse dancing excitedly in anticipation of the journey. "You're riding with Trowa so he can keep an eye on you." She jumped at the sound of Trowa's name, but obediently went to his side. Trowa tried to think of something to say, but somehow just couldn't. If he wasn't careful the emperor would take her away from him, and he knew he didn't want that to happen. But what could he say?   
  
"Hey Trowa, you coming with us or what?" Tasuki joked from his mount, smiling broadly. He was having way too much fun with this little adventure, but then Trowa was sure that Tasuki made his own fun out of everything.   
  
Gently and hesitantly he took hold of Ayden's waist. She automatically moved closer to him, making him smile softly. In any case, she was still his partner. With practiced ease he lifted her to the saddle, following her up. They nestled together comfortably and he found himself sliding his arm around her. She leaned back slightly and he was reassured that no matter what the emperor said to her, she was still with him for now.   
  
"Ready Ayden?" He whispered into her ear. She nodded and they made their way to the front gates of the palace. Heero led the way with Chichiri at his side, confident and deadly. The twins were right behind, ever ready for his instruction on how they would be needed. Tasuki rode behind Trowa, bobbing his head to some unheard tune and every once in a while spurring his mount to catch up to Heero and then falling back to the very end of the procession. Ayden sighed, leaning against him, and they made their way east as the sun set behind them. 


	4. The Seiryuu Warrior

Chapter 4: The Seiryu Warrior  
  
Duo was sure that it had been more than a day since Nakago had left him. Most of his time during the dark had been occupied with worry over his fellow pilot. He wondered if his condition had improved . . or worsened. What were they doing for him. . or to him. Was he still alive? Had he been imprisoned too? He prayed that Tomo was caring for Quatre better than anyone was caring for him. Even OZ would give water to their prisoners at least. But this was not an OZ prison. Indeed, if it had been he would have long escaped by now. No, this was not OZ, and he was trapped much more securely than anyone on earth would have thought of. He could not get out and no one had come to him at all. He wondered if they even remembered he was there. Quite possibly, something had happened and they had completely forgotten about their prisoner. Or perhaps they meant to starve him to death to get him out of the way? It was a safe execution for their politics, but a lengthy and painful one for him. But the emperor had made it seem that he was of some importance. Wasn't he the sixth warrior they were looking for? Didn't the blue character on his wrist entitle him to better treatment than this? Why, he was chained so securely that he couldn't reach his lock pick or any explosives that would assist his escape. He couldn't move his hands at all. They were numb from the lack of motion. Perhaps they meant to weaken him so they could use him for something. . .but what?  
  
Tired of wondering and worrying and guessing, Duo gave himself over to the still activities of the very bored and mentally strained. In Duo's case this meant that he whistled. He wasn't aware that he was whistling at all, until he heard a whine from outside the locked door. A whine and a scratch that stopped him and put him on alert. Was it the wolf he had encountered earlier? How strong was that door? If the wolf were able to get through it there would be no way he could defend himself.   
  
"Ashtare, back," came a gruff voice that Duo recognized. Nakago. A key clicked in the lock and light flooded the cell. Duo blinked against the glare, finally making out the general's dark silhouette. .and the smaller shadow of the wolf, Ashtare. The giant animal bounded into the room, right up to Duo. He snarled at him briefly before examining his scent.   
  
"Sit, Ashtare. He is not for you." The wolf came away, sitting in a corner as ordered. Duo marveled at how well the creature obeyed Nakago. What kind of power did this man have anyway? He came close to Duo, studying his face carefully. "He is for Miboshi." Oh great, thought Duo, knowing that Miboshi, whoever it was, would not be someone he would enjoy. "I believe his will is sufficiently weakened." Duo's restraints were taken away, and he fell against the floor. A tingling sensation filled him as his circulation began to return to his arms. It was not a pleasant feeling, nor could he move until it had subsided. He was at Nakago's complete mercy, and he didn't like it one bit.   
  
"Miboshi," Nakago called and another shadow appeared at the entrance. "Is he ready?" A child walked calmly into the room dressed in deep blue silk. He crouched next to Duo, cupping his chin in his small hand. His eyes were cat-slit and dark. He made Duo want to cringe away. He'd rather face Ashtare unarmed than this child. There was something about him, evil and ancient. Of a sudden Duo felt himself being lifted, though no one had put a hand on him. He just hung suspended in the air, unable to move as the child circled him studiously. What was going on? Was it the kid who was holding him there by some unseen power? Was he ready for what? Fear grabbed him, but there was nothing he could do to help himself get away, so he hung.  
  
"Very suitable, Nakago," Miboshi purred as he circled. "A most excellent body. The clothes will have to be exchanged. We don't want to stand out if we are to join the enemy. Otherwise, yes, very suitable. He is the sixth, is he not?"  
  
"He is," Nakago nodded from his position next to the wolf.   
  
"One wonders why I am needed at all then if he is one of us."  
  
"Threat of insubordination. I thought it best if you were him." Now what did that mean? Not if you were with him. .no if you were him. Duo felt very cold. "Your skills and his physical talents should combine well. I trust you to it. Once you have merged then go to the border. They are bound to try and cross it eventually."  
  
"But they haven't found their Miko have they?" Duo was now very confused and very frightened, but he was held powerless to say anything.   
  
"I believe they have. Things have gone very quiet in Konan rather suddenly. That means they are hiding something. They need the scroll before they can begin the ceremony though, and Taitskun has the scroll. That means they will have to cross. You be waiting to join them."  
  
"How could I do this?"  
  
"Be whatever they stand in need of, a warrior, a guide, anything that would be someone they would trust."  
  
"I understand, Lord Nakago."  
  
"Then I'll leave you to it." He turned to exit, causing an intense shock of fear to tremble its nauseous way through Duo. Don't go! He would have screamed after the general, but he was held completely still by whatever power the child, Miboshi, possessed. He knew he didn't want to be left alone with him. Something terrible would happen. As if hearing Duo's thoughts, Nakago paused at the door.  
  
"Oh yes, Duo," he said over his shoulder without completely turning around. "The priest of Seiryu has asked me to tell you not to worry." Quatre! What had they done to him? Why would he say not to worry? It had to be a lie. Tell me where he is! Shrieked inside Duo's mind, but he could not speak. It was enraging. His muscles tensed, a slight movement that he apparently should not have been able to make. Miboshi snapped his attention to him with a gasp, his eyes gone suddenly wide in surprise.   
  
"What's the matter?" Nakago raised an eyebrow as he considered the child's action. Duo was suddenly enclosed so tightly by the unseen force he found it difficult to breathe.  
  
"N-nothing," Miboshi stuttered, then smiled. "It's an excellent body." Nakago nodded one last time and then the door was closed, shutting out any light and any hope. Ashtare whined in the darkness somewhere and Duo's heart pounded painfully against the hidden restraint. He felt a breath upon his cheek and thought he was going to die.   
  
"That's most impressive," the voice whispered somewhere very close. "You're almost perfect, in fact. Nakago has made you a fine present indeed." What is he going to do? What could he possibly do to me? He can't kill me; they need me! Don't they? Oh man, think, quick, what would Heero do in this situation? If I could only move! "Here then." Duo collapsed to the floor as the power holding him was dropped. Immediately his hand went into his shirt for his gun, but he wasn't quick enough. He found his mind clouded and his thoughts muddled as a different sort of power was used on him. He felt pushed within, someone was shoving him aside. . .though it was only in his mind. His body was still, not comprehending his thoughts that told it to move. . run, anything to get away from this boy. He told his hand to clench the gun and pull it out. He told it to aim at Miboshi. He told himself to scream, but he could do nothing. His body was not responding as it should. It was not responding at all! His eyes moved to the side where Miboshi was standing, only it was no longer Miboshi there. It was only a boy with large frightened eyes who was looking at his hands with wonderment. Wait, what was going on? The boy looked up, his mouth in a frightened "oh" as he saw Duo. Don't be afraid, he said, but his mouth was not moving. I'm not going to hurt you. No sound. What has he done to me?  
  
"Ashtare," he heard his voice but did not know where the words were coming from. How is it that his mouth was moving now with no help or thought from him? Why had it not worked before and why was he calling the wolf? "He's yours." There was a snarl and a snap before Ashtare leaped at the bewildered looking boy. A thick scream that was cut off in an instant followed, and Duo could do nothing to stop the murder. He could only stand and scream for it to end inside his head because he was powerless to make his body cooperate. Blood mingled with the wet on the floor, shining darkly in the faint light.   
  
Did I say that? Did I really tell Ashtare to kill that boy? It was my voice, but it couldn't have been me. Where is Miboshi? It can't be that boy. .but who else could it have been? Why did he change suddenly? What happened? Stop!!  
  
"It was your voice," came a whisper in his head, the same whisper he remembered hearing. "But I formed the words. Come, we have business in Konan." To Duo's horror he began walking forward, patting Ashtare on the way by as the wolf enjoyed his prey. He had no control anymore. Miboshi had taken over his body and was inside his head. And now they were going away from the palace, away from the city, and far away from Quatre. What am I going to do? Thought Duo. How am I going to get out of this?  
  
"You'll do as I say you'll do," came the voice. "The only way out of this is death." Duo remembered the boy, the last body for this evil spirit that was a part of him now, and suddenly wished he could die.  
  
  
  
"Oho," Tasuki smirked as he allowed his horse to fall back to where Trowa and Ayden were. Three days in a saddle had managed to dampen everyone's spirits except his. Somehow he always had a joke and a smile. It got on Heero's nerves, obviously, so Tasuki had taken to staying behind with Trowa, as far away from the dark pilot as possible. Ayden rolled her eyes over to get a sidelong look of her lanky red haired warrior. She was weary and not in the mood for his strange rants of one odd topic or another. Bandits were known for two things: their stamina and their incredible sense of off beat humor. At least, this one was.   
  
Trowa's hand tightened, Ayden could feel it clench as his arm was securely around her waist to keep her balanced. It was warm and comforting, if not comfortable. He was checking his patience as well.  
  
"Wingless birds are naught but snakes, what trouble will a rattle make?" Ayden furrowed her brows at the riddle. He always expected an answer of some sort, and cackled insanely when it wasn't the correct one. Yet this one was slightly different. His smile was off, slanted. His eyes had a glimmer of something more than fun in them. Something dangerous.   
  
"Where?" Trowa's voice was low and soft in her ear. He could always figure the little speeches out quickly. She wondered how he did it. Tasuki gave his wolf bark of a laugh at Trowa's quick wit. This sort of thing delighted him, and this particular riddle more than most.  
  
"A hop, skip, and jump from Doomsday," came the peculiar reply. "How shall we hide the phoenix?"  
  
"We put the wolf in the sheep's clothing of course." Ayden decided that listening to their idea of fun was just a good way to get dizzy. Tasuki laughed again, this time a little louder, and a little more forced. He pulled his mount in close to lean in to her, grinning madly.  
  
"Get ready, little phoenix," he whispered and then galloped up to the front of the line where he drew in his horse again for a quick conversation with Heero and Chichiri. Ayden saw Heero stiffen slightly at what was being said, and wondered what was going on.   
  
"Spies," Trowa was right there with explanation before she had asked the question. "They're following us now, behind the rocks. They forgot which way the shadows fall. Lucky for Tasuki's sharp eyes."  
  
"What are we going to do about them?"  
  
"There's an ambush ahead, no doubt. Heero will take care of that easily, but we need to confuse their search a bit. Shift the attackers and the ones being attacked." Ayden was alarmed, glancing all over for signs of the enemy. She saw rocks, blistering and red in the sunlight, bits of scrub every now and again. No vegetation, no real cover. Until. . .wait, there she could see the outline of a human shadow that was cast sideways by the evening brilliance. One, two, four, seven of them all together. At least, that she could see without craning her neck too far from the concealment of the cloak. Then a cloud veiled the sunlight, and all shadows disappeared into the sudden cool. Ayden shivered; Trowa tensed, and Tasuki's strained laugh echoed eerily back to them.  
  
But the attack never came, the cloud passed and she suddenly felt Trowa's breath on her neck as he counted the attackers again. "One went ahead," he hissed. "To warn the others." There was an urgency in his tone, a need to move quickly before the supposed ambush. But the horses remained steady and calm in their slow, plodding pace. It made Ayden want to grind her teeth.  
  
Heero dropped back suddenly while Tasuki claimed the lead. The fiery haired youth knew these mountains better than anyone ever could, and he could lead them somewhere safe. Where they would find that sanctuary Ayden had no idea. This was a barren place, no shelter anywhere, and they were deep in enemy territory.  
  
"We need a point of defense," Heero muttered, slipping into his soldier's training. "What do you mean to do with her? It's obvious who she is." Ayden began to be cold with his words. She was obvious. She was the target this time. She leaned back against Trowa, his hand pulled her closer without him realizing he'd done it. She wanted to be away from the mountains, away from the unprotected area. She wanted to be safe.   
  
"They know we've seen them," Trowa pointed out in low accent. "They're just biding time. They might be up ahead, or coming from behind to close us in. They might be trying to get us to go the wrong way, waiting for dark, anything."  
  
"It's not a matter of how or if, it's just when. We need to find a place where we can choose that time."   
  
"We'll have to hope that Tasuki can take us there." Heero nodded, but didn't pull from Trowa's side. Ayden could feel the unease within him, even though his features betrayed nothing but calm. He didn't like it here. He was unfamiliar. He didn't have a gun. There were too many unknowns in the situation, and Heero was used to having more control.  
  
Up head Chichiri, under Tasuki's direction, turned his horse sideways. . .and disappeared. Ayden blinked as she watched, but it was true. The shaman had vanished from the rocky hillside. "Trowa," she whispered, but he was too distracted with counting shadows to respond. The twins followed and then Ayden saw where they were headed. Barely visible, only a slit just wide enough for a horse to slide through, was the entrance to a cave. Hard to get into, and easy to defend. Heero nodded his approval to Tasuki as he slipped past him into the cave.  
  
"A scouting I will go," Tasuki sang softly as he unlaced his coat. Heero gave him a cautious glance. "Count the blind."  
  
"Be careful, Tasuki," Ayden told him as Trowa and she entered the cool darkness of the rock. He smiled cheerfully as he handed his reins to Heero.  
  
"They can't hit what they can't see. Just watch." He handed her his coat, checked a dagger at his boot, squared his shoulders, winked, and sprinted off into the dusty hillside. His bright hair faded into the sunlight's burning brilliance, and Ayden lost sight of him within moments in the shadows of the rocks.  
  
The inside of the cave was cramped, and Ayden found herself more claustrophobic than she had previously thought. The slick rock led down, and the horses picked their way carefully. The ceiling sank low and the company was forced out of the saddle, an awkward dismount for there was not enough room on the sides to stand next to the animal. They continued single file, leading the horses, with their necks arched downward, farther and farther into the darkness, following Chichiri's orb of light that he carried on his palm. Trowa put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as her breathing quickened with the tightness of the place.   
  
"It will open," he promised. "Just give it a little longer." True to his prediction, the ceiling opened suddenly, revealing a large open cavity where Chichiri sent his light flying upward to illuminate everything in a pale blue glow. There was enough room for them, their horses, and a little more besides. Heero was pleased, and the horses were glad of the fresh water that had collected in an underground pool along one of the sides.   
  
"It's a good thing they didn't find this before us, you know," Chichiri said as he relieved his horse of a saddle and bridle so it could rest from the long journey. "But what are we going to do now? They know we're here, you know."  
  
"They won't follow us down here, the path is too narrow," Heero's eyes were far away as he debated possible combat scenarios in his head. "But now we can pick when we want to fight, although while we're keeping them out they can keep us in very easily." Chichiri nodded sagely. "But now we can protect Ayden. Trowa?" Her partner materialized from a shadow, making her jump unexpectedly. Afraid of everything lately, she chastized herself. Even Trowa. Ridiculous.   
  
With a practiced and precise motion Trowa retrieved the dagger Ayden had concealed in her boot. Her heart skipped at his action, and she had to force herself to calm down. The deep underground area was disturbing to her, and Suboshi too from the feelings she was getting from him. Trowa gave her an apologetic look upon hearing her gasp, then turned his attention back to her dagger. He lifted it, testing the blade with his thumb.  
  
"Amiboshi, come here," he called softly and the twin was beside them quickly. "It's close enough to be the same, and to their eyes it will be."  
  
"What do you mean to do, Trowa?" Ayden needed to know. All this secrecy concerning what was to become of her was beginning to try her patience.   
  
"I'm going to cut your hair like his, and then you'll exchange clothes. When we leave this cave Amiboshi will be with me in the cloak and you'll take his horse. They know who you are, and we have to throw them off." The cold of the blade was at her neck, and she took a deep breath. "Forgive me." That was unexpected. She hadn't been waiting for an apology. She realized that it was necessary if she were to be kept safe.  
  
"Go ahead," she consented and felt the sharp steel slice through her golden hair. Amiboshi, eyes sympathetic, picked up one of the fallen locks when he thought she wasn't looking, holding it tightly in his fist. She felt a deep ache from him, but didn't know where it came from. She reached out a hand comfortingly to him, and in touching him felt his nervousness and fright. Trowa tensed behind her at the movement so she brought her hand back to her lap and held still.   
  
"All right, change clothes and then we'll wait for Tasuki to discuss what we're going to do to get out of here." Ayden looked to the twin, who nodded, and together they left the main area to obey.  
  
  
Seven, Tasuki counted in his head as he watched the long unrocklike shadows of the Kutou warriors. Four archers, two swordsmen, and one quarterstaff. He wasn't worried about the swordsmen or the staff, but the archers were a concern. A longbow could propel an arrow at a terrible velocity for an amazing distance, and there wouldn't be any cover for them once they left the cave. He debated taking them on himself, but quickly discarded it. He didn't possess the weaponry for all seven at once, and that was surely to happen if he let himself be seen. No, it was better to wait, less dangerous to both himself and the priestess.   
  
As the sunlight faded behind the rocks, the seven men began to move, making their way from the cave entrance. They knew better than to enter the labyrinth underground. They would undoubtedly return to camp to report what they had seen. Good, he smiled to himself, lead me right to your camp and then we can get past rather easily. He followed, skulking about rocks and using their shadows to his advantage, memorizing details of scenery so he could return if he needed to.   
  
The men went over a ridge and that's when the camp came into view. Tasuki almost whistled at the sight. It wasn't just a camp. It was a border that stretched as far in both directions as he could squint out. The entire army of Kutou must be along that deadly line. How would they ever slip by unnoticed?   
  
If he hadn't been puzzling over this nasty little problem he might have heard the silent wolf pad behind him and been able to defend himself in time. But the beast's paws in the sand were too swift and soft for even Tasuki to pick up, despite his sharpened senses, and he had no time to react. The snarl directly behind him was his only warning, and the animal sprang just as he turned around. No time to bring a dagger up, no time to deflect the momentum of the pouncing power, just time to realize exactly what was going to happen. The large wolf, large even by mountain standards, pinned him against the rock, piercing it into his back. The huge jaws closed on his throat so he dared not move and could only just breathe, and then everything was still. The lightning flash that had been the attack ceased, and the wolf remained perfectly motionless, holding his captive down and waiting. Tasuki debated trying to throw it over him, but the quivering teeth, wet against his windpipe, made him think better of that idea. If he moved, those teeth would close. He swore in his head and tried to think of another plan. How long would the wolf stay in this position? What kind of wolf was it that it could be so large and have enough restraint to keep his teeth fixed on his prey and yet not kill him? What was it waiting for? Tasuki forced himself to calm down, hold still, and wait with the beast. He could not move, and there was no sense in killing himself by trying. If the animal was waiting for someone, then that someone couldn't be far behind.  
  
Moments later, his patience was rewarded with a close cry, "Good work, Ashtare. Hold him there!" It was a soft voice, and one he did not know. That meant it was not one of his bandits. He would have known if one of them kept a wolf this size anyway. No, whoever it was, it might be a worse fate to end up as his prisoner than being ripped apart by the wolf. A shadow fell over him, a shadow that kicked sand into his eyes. He blinked rapidly, feeling tears fall down his face as the wolf released his death grip on his throat. Hands grabbed him swiftly, tugging him over to his stomach and smoothly tying his hands useless behind him, all while his eyes tried to relieve themselves of the sand. That was a good move to paralyze him while the task of capturing him was complete. This person obviously knew what they were doing.   
  
"I have a job for you." Said the voice viciously in his ear. So, those spies had noticed he was following them. Impressive. "If you'll just follow me, I can take you right where you want to go." He laughed at his own joke and hauled Tasuki to his feet. He thought of running, but his hands were tied and that was risky, besides the wolf, Ashtare, had his teeth bared as a warning of what would happen to him if he tried to escape. Very thorough. The man, actually now that they were both standing Tasuki could tell that the person who had captured him was really little more than a boy, remained behind him, seen only as a voice in his ear whispering threats as they made their slow trek down the sand to the long line of campfires below. Immediately, Tasuki began to think of a way of getting out while staying alive, even though he knew when he was locked into a cage that it would be much more difficult than he had first imagined.   
  
"I'll be back," the boy told him as he secured the heavy lock in place. Now Tasuki could examine him closely, and he did so with disgust and distrust. The boy was short, much shorter than himself. How had such a young child gotten the better of him so easily? It was humiliating. He wore the colors of the mountain desert, his eyes pieces of the cobalt night. His skin was slightly sunburned, as though he had not been camped here long enough to get used to the harsh sunlight. The clothes he had on were dusty, but looked very new. But the oddest thing about him was his hair. Tasuki had to blink to be sure he had seen what appeared to be there. The hair was soft looking and rich chestnut in color, shining with the last tendrils of twilight, and hanging in one incredible braid to his knees. He was beautiful, the muscles visible underneath his shirt, a perfect specimen of a young warrior. The fact that he did look so flawless made it difficult for Tasuki to despise him as he should. He found himself admiring the nameless Seiryu soldier, one for having all the appearance of a stone statue and the other for capturing him so effortlessly. "Ashtare, watch!" The wolf rolled his eyes lazily to his departing master, then turned them hard on Tasuki. It glared, burning those eyes deep into him, before he calmly sat down before him to keep guard. Tasuki gave up; there would be no escape for him so long as that wolf kept his eyes open, and from what he could tell, the wolf took his orders extremely seriously. Well, he thought as he leaned against the uncomfortable bars, so much for that.   
  
  
"Where is he?" Heero growled as he paced the length of the cave, reminding Ayden of the jungle cats before a performance. "It's way past sunset." She had never seen him so agitated before either. Chichiri, cross-legged with arms folded, perched on a rock in the shadows, lifted his head to acknowledge the unexpected outburst.   
  
"He'll be here, you know," he replied with sure confidence. "Tasuki's the best scout around. Just give him a little while. Maybe he had to wait for darkness to come back. Maybe it was safer that way, you know?" Heero paused in circuit to bare his teeth.  
  
"He's taking too long. The longer we stay here the easier it will be for them to keep us here. If he doesn't want us to starve then he'll hurry."  
  
"You don't think something happened to him, do you Trowa?" Ayden whispered up to him. They were seated together, him on another rock and her on the ground, leaning against him. He had stiffened when she sat down, but now they were both getting used to the position. She saw him shrug.  
  
"Who knows? There were seven of them, and he might not have been able to avoid all their notice." She shivered, wondering what would happen if he were to be captured, or killed? Didn't all the warriors have to be there for the summoning? Chichiri had said that. They needed Tasuki, for several reasons.  
  
"Maybe someone could --" he shook his head before she had finished the thought.   
  
"It's dark and no one knows the territory like he does. Besides, we don't know what's out there yet."  
  
"What if he doesn't come back?" Heero heard her last comment and stopped dead to glare at her. Chichiri also lifted his eyes with an incredulous stare. The twins shifted uncomfortably.   
  
"We'll worry about that if it happens, you know," Chichiri's voice carried a warning that the subject of Tasuki's tardiness not be mentioned again. A tenseness settled over the atmosphere, relieved only by Amiboshi when he took out his flute and played softly. Ayden sighed, leaned back against Trowa's knee, and wished that Tasuki would return soon. How long would they wait for him? What if he never came back? It may not be something they wanted to think about, but the topic would have to be addressed eventually. They could not stay in this cave forever. Ayden didn't like the idea of coming down here to begin with, but to be trapped in here was something else entirely. She lifted an uneasy hand to finger her now short hair. Please, she prayed, Tasuki come back quickly.  
  
  
"Wake up," the voice harshly whispered and the cage shook slightly. Tasuki opened his eyes, shifting to ease the stiffness the bars had caused by pressing against his back so long. His legs begged to move, but the prison would allow none of it. His captor was without, the light of the night fires burning deep in his cobalt eyes as he gazed in at him. The wolf was still there as well, Tasuki could feel the beast presence now. It was there, and close, but not to be seen. "I have a favor to ask of you." Tasuki narrowed his eyes in distrust. What kind of favor would be asked of him from a Seiryu soldier. It was then that he noticed the lock had been picked and lay in the grass, shining dully in the reflected light. He would have to be careful in playing this game.  
  
"And what would that be?" He asked cautiously, not making any movements.  
  
"I want out of here." What? That was certainly unexpected. "If I go with you, they will think that you forced me to set you free."  
  
"And come right after us when they find out that we're gone." A slight smile crossed the Seiryu's features. Why anyone would think a chase amusing was beyond him.  
  
"With you and me and Ashtare, no one will be able to find us." That was true, Tasuki knew, but what about the others? The ones that this person knew nothing about. He had to get back to them. Perhaps if he went along he could get away from this boy and return to that secluded cave. It would be difficult. "Besides," his voice went low and he leaned close to the bars, a very trusting move to get that close to a desperate, trapped enemy. "I am one of you." He raised an arm, and Tasuki could see glowing there the red character of a Suzaku warrior! The last warrior, right here in the Seiryu camp. Wouldn't Chichiri be pleased when he returned with the very person they needed to find? But how had the last warrior ended up here? "We need each other," the boy continued as he could see Tasuki's wariness. "I won't betray you, if you don't betray me." He was right. The boy needed him to get away successfully, and Tasuki needed him to get back to the cave. The cave. The others. How long would they wait before they left without him? How long had he been asleep?   
  
"It's a deal," Tasuki murmured, watching the grin lift the features of his captor. "If," the smile faded slightly. "If you leave the wolf behind." Without the animal he would be easier to handle should he do something unexpected. He turned to look at his companion, and Tasuki could see now that he was curled at his master's feet. For a moment the Seiryu, no Suzaku, warrior looked doubtful. Slowly, he nodded in acceptance to the proposition. Tasuki had won, this time.   
  
"Ashtare," the wolf stood and pricked his ears attentively. "Make sure no one follows us." The boy scratched the wolf's head and neck affectionately, and the beast licked his fingers in a farewell. Tasuki was again amazed at the tameness of the animal, and wasn't even surprised that the wolf then began a patrol, searching for anyone who might see them escape. The boy sighed as he watched him go, as one would watch the departure of a dear comrade. Then he turned his midnight eyes to Tasuki. "Let's hurry."  
  
  
"Is everyone in agreement?" Heero posed the question from where he stood in the center of the cave. Chichiri's light glowed about him dimly, making him an eerie figure in the shadows. "If he's not back by dawn, then we're leaving without him." The twins didn't want to agree, but they had no choice really. They couldn't wait on him forever, especially when they didn't know what had happened to him. Time was important and they had to get away before the enemy found some method of forcing them out, or trapping them in. Even Chichiri had to nod, though it was hesitant. Ayden was frightened, dawn wasn't very far away now. Poor Tasuki. The reality of the danger was becomming very clear, and she didn't like it at all.   
  
"How will we find our way?" Suboshi questioned from somewhere Ayden couldn't see. "Tasuki is the only one who knows these mountains." Heero growled at him, and might have done something regrettable if Chichiri had not intervened.  
  
"We follow the sun. That's all we've been doing for the past several days. If we don't vary from that course then we'll find the enemy camp and be able to get past it, and from there Taitskun will have to find us, you know." Suboshi nodded and silence fell tangible.  
  
Until a faint scraping echoed down to them from the pathway leading into their hollow. Trowa stood quickly, his hand reaching for a knife, and Heero did the same. Both stood poised and ready for whatever was coming toward them into the cave, ready to fight. "Amiboshi," Trowa whispered in a tone so soft it was a wonder the twin heard. "Take Ayden back into the dark. Protect her." Ayden stood, just as Amiboshi slid an arm around her and pulled her back into a secluded tunnel. There was just enough space for them at the opening if they entered one a time, and he pushed her through first so he could shield her. She twisted in the narrow passage and tucked her head over his shoulder so she could see what was going on.  
  
"Slow now," she heard someone say in a voice she recognized. It was Tasuki! But who was he speaking to? She turned so she could make out the opening, and the person who was stepping into the light. Her eyes widened and she forced herself not to gasp. Duo stood just inside the cave pocket, his eyes large and curious. He was wearing the clothes of this land, but she would remember his braid anywhere. It was Duo, but how on earth had he gotten here?  
  
"Duo?" Heero sounded incredulous, not to mention surprised. No doubt he was thinking the same thing she was. Trowa stiffened, his weapon still in his hand, a look of distrust on his face. Duo stood completely still, eyes confused as if he didn't know who was standing in front of him. Then they took on recognition, and a grin slipped into place.  
  
"Tadaima," he sighed, lowering his hands to his sides. "Watashi no tomodachi, Heero-san." Heero's shoulders loosened at the lilting Japanese greeting, and he stood straight from his positioned fighting stance. It had to be the real Duo, no one could have known Heero's name or his language if it wasn't someone that Heero knew and knew well. It was Duo, but there was still a confusion about how he had gotten here with them. Especially since they didn't know where they were in the first place.   
  
"Duo," Heero said the name again, still not believing it was really him standing there before Tasuki. "How?" The braided pilot shrugged, already at ease with his old friends.   
  
"It's a long story," was the vague reply. Ayden raised an eyebrow. How had he gotten there and why wasn't he answering the question properly? "I don't know how I got here myself in all honesty."   
  
"He carries the mark of Suzaku, Chichiri," Tasuki interrupted, a silly smile brightening his face. "I found him."  
  
"Indeed?" Chichiri stood, eyes focused on the new boy, who was looking behind him at Tasuki.  
  
"I found you, you mean," he corrected rather coldly, but he raised his arm to allow Chichiri to inspect the dull red mark. "You're rather lucky I am who I am, wouldn't you say?" Tasuki looked sheepish and kicked a small stone into the collected pool in the shadows.   
  
"What's he talking about, Tasuki?" Suboshi asked, carefully eyeing their new companion. "Did you get yourself captured or what?" Tasuki feigned deafness at the question.  
  
"So how do you guys know each other?" Tasuki changed the subject, revealing that he had, indeed, gotten himself caught. But what did that matter? He was here now, and they were all going to make it out all right. And now they had the final warrior, so they could speed up the ceremony that much quicker. Ayden smiled softly, and get back home.   
  
"We're from the same world," Ayden volunteered, feeling much more confident now that Tasuki was back and there was no apparent danger. She began to explain while Heero took Duo aside to speak to him alone.   
  
Heero! Duo screamed inside his head. Please recognize me, please you've got to help me. I don't know how you can possibly be here, but you've got to see through this guy.  
Enough, Miboshi hushed him. You are exactly as you've always been. I have your thoughts, your voice, and your form. What is different that he should notice? Now hush and watch your reunion.  
  
"Duo, we're going to need your help," Heero began softly. Miboshi positioned his face into an expression of mock astonishment.  
  
"My help? The great Heero Yuy needs my help? I wonder how much they're charging to go iceskating in hell?"  
  
"Enough," Heero was not amused. "How did you get here? You have your Gundam with you? We've got to get away and quickly. There's some kind of war going on here and we can't really afford to get caught up in another one. " Miboshi held up a hand.  
  
"Whoa, man, calm down. I haven't got Deathscythe with me. I didn't get here by machine. There was this wacky blue light that sort of carried me off and all of a sudden I was here with this mark," he held it up again for Heero to see. "I couldn't explain it. I didn't know where I was so I wandered around for days." That should account for the sunburn. "I thought I was going to starve or die of sunstroke, but I found this cave where there was at least water. I had been out today looking for something that made sense when I saw your friend fighting. It wasn't an even match by a long shot so I stepped in. After we'd kicked all their butts I saw that he had a mark like mine and when I asked him about it he got all excited and brought me right back to my own cave where you all were hiding." He spread his hands. "End of story. What's yours?" But Quatre! Duo shouted. You didn't tell him about Quatre! Of course not, Miboshi cooed. If he knows you've been with Seiryu then no one will trust us.  
  
"We crashed here, but we're out of fuel." Duo's heart sank. There was no way they were getting out of here now. Heero shook his head. "Now we'll have to do it her way."  
  
"And what exactly is that plan all about?" Heero switched to Japanese, not that anyone was listening to them anyway, but just as an extra precaution.  
  
"These people we're with, they think that the girl is some kind of priestess. They believe that they are her warriors and she's supposed to summon some kind of god to grant her wishes. That's only after we've gathered all seven of the warriors and this scroll from a mystical person on top of some mountain that moves around. It's all ridiculous, but I doubt they'll let her go until she's done what they ask. If it works then she can just wish us all home." It would have sounded to Duo as if Heero had lost his sense, if he wasn't currently being held a prisoner in his own body.  
  
"Sounds like one big trap to me. How is she supposed to summon the god anyway?" Heero shrugged.  
  
"They don't tell us things. They expect us to already know everything. I was just trying to get us to the mountain, across an enemy border. Now that you're here you can help us." Miboshi rubbed his fingers against his shirt haughtily.  
  
"Well naturally you'd need my expertise in Houdini-atrics for this type of mission. So glad you counseled with me for this one, Mr. Yuy." 'Mr. Yuy' growled deeply, stiffening his body. Some best friend you have here, Duo, Miboshi smiled within. Heero moved away from him then, skulking over to where Tasuki was already in conversation with Chichiri about what they were going to do next. His place was quickly taken by Trowa who put a gentle hand on his shoulder to gain his attention.   
  
"Duo," he began softly, his eyes glinting in the darkness. "Where's Quatre? Wasn't he supposed to be with you?" Caught! Yes! Of course Trowa had seen what Heero had not. Of course he would have remembered that Quatre would be here too. There you have it, Trowa is the master! Duo sang, but Miboshi was ready with the lie.  
  
"No, he's not even here. We were traveling towards the base when I was carried away by this light. Heero will tell you all about it, but Quatre didn't come with me." Worry quickly found its way into the green depths and Duo's consciousness slumped. He hadn't seen. It was just as Miboshi had said. What was there to see? He was exactly the same, and there was one attribute to his character that would make it that much harder for him to get them to think. Miboshi was using his tongue to lie, and that was something that Duo Maxwell never did. Whatever Miboshi told them they were going to believe without question, even if he were to lead them right into a trap. He rose up to fight the demon spirit possessing him, straining his mind to lift the one that had pressed it down. How dare you take my body! How dare you use me to hurt my friends! Relax, Miboshi didn't sound as if Duo's efforts were having any effect at all. It's useless, I've told you. You're mine until I no longer have need of you. And then, the smile in the voice was unmistakable. You die.  
  
"You don't think he could have been transported somewhere else in this world, do you? He could be anywhere. With the enemy, on some other planet entirely . . ." Trowa was still rambling about the whereabouts of Quatre, but Miboshi was finished discussing matters with Duo. It was time to soothe the young man about his friend.  
  
"Or right back where I left him. You don't know. The light may have left him there --"  
  
"Alone, fighting our war, alone. It's a bad situation any way you look at it." Ayden had crept up to join them by this point.  
  
"What's going on Trowa? What's wrong?" Trowa shook his head, his lips pressed too tightly to speak. Duo also looked away, as if he didn't want to answer her. She figured it was something that she either couldn't understand, or was too personal for them to share. It would be better if she just dropped it entirely.  
  
"Tasuki says that we should leave soon," she changed the subject. "At the hottest part of the day." Duo winced.  
  
"Isn't that a little dangerous? Look, I'm already sunburned." She smiled, pretending his question had been a joke.  
  
"We'll have to risk it. If we stay here too long it will end up as a siege. Heero says he has a plan for getting past the border."  
  
"Oh yeah, sure, Heero," Duo pouted, spreading his hands and bowing his head. "Take all the credit for what I'm going to do for you guys. How typical!" Ayden blinked, confused.  
  
"How are you getting us across?" Duo turned his head and relaxed the hands he had placed on his hips in pretend anger. He smiled mischievously at her, winking slightly. It was times like these she wished she were more intelligent on war matters. Asking all these questions made her feel so ignorant, and not asking them just made her confused. How had she gotten mixed up in all this anyway?   
  
"I, my lady, happen to be an expert on getting into and out of places without being seen."  
  
"An escape artist?"  
  
"The very best," Trowa supplied, to which Duo bowed deeply. "Now let's get going." He raised his voice. "Heero, are we leaving?" After receiving a nod, he began giving orders. "Amiboshi, wrap up in Ayden's cloak," his teeth clenched. "You'll be riding with me. Suboshi? Guard her well, we still don't know what's out there. Oye, Duo?"   
  
"You called?" Duo, Ayden noticed, had a great shock recovery. He hadn't been down in the cave for ten minutes and already he was quite at home with the situation. She'd been in this world for days and she still didn't know what she was doing.  
  
"I want you to ride with Ayden. Hey, you wouldn't have a gun by any chance?" For a second, Duo's eyes narrowed as if he hadn't understood the question. Or maybe he was just thinking, Ayden couldn't tell for sure. Then he rummaged in his shirt, retrieving the shining weapon. Suboshi and Tasuki were immediately interested, but Heero's gruff burst of, "let's get out of here," stopped them from asking any questions about it. Heero was the first to leave, followed by Chichiri and Suboshi. Trowa gestured to Amiboshi, who was now perfectly concealed in Ayden's cloak. Gently Trowa placed his hand on the older twin's back to guide his movements through the dark, just as he would have if he had been Ayden. It made her smile to see.  
  
"Well, missie, I guess it's just you and me and this thing here. You know how to ride?"  
  
"Yes," she patted the horse reassuringly, knowing that it was looking forward to getting out of the cave as much as she was.   
  
"Good 'cuz I don't. You steer and I'll watch for bad guys, ok?" She nodded and took the reins, following Trowa out to the harsh sunlight, wind, and possible ambush. And to think, just a few days ago her biggest problem was doing a night show. Oh Trowa, she thought as Duo pulled her up to nestle in front of him on the palomino mare, you sure brought a lot of excitement when you showed up.  
  
To everyone's surprise, except Duo's who knew nothing of it, there was no ambush. In fact, even the shadows had disappeared from behind the rocks. "What's everyone so tense about?" Duo whispered into her ear as they carefully made their trek through the stifling heat.  
  
"They're waiting for an attack. I don't know why its not coming." Duo laughed quietly, reminding Ayden of Tasuki.  
  
"They're not going to attack in this kind of heat. It's a wonder we're moving in it, really. And how is that kid up there handling being under that cloak?" Ayden remembered being under the cloak. It wasn't too bad, actually. It had blocked the sun from her eyes and the wind from her hair, and Trowa had been right there with his arm gently around her waist. The one that was there now was not quite as gentle, and every once in a while it would tighten as if in a convulsion of some kind. She focused her attention on the tallest Gundam pilot, watching him as he watched everything else, with an intensity akin to nothing. She could lose herself in studying him, but then the words of the emperor came back to her. The last thing he had told her before she had set out on this expedition. She closed her eyes; it wasn't worth thinking about right now, after all, she wasn't even sure that she would come back to him alive.   
  
Stop fighting! Miboshi hissed. You know you can do nothing! Duo felt the pressure increase to the point of pain, and pushed back. MOVE!!! He commanded his arm, his finger, his eye or even his tongue, but nothing would obey. He had felt this only once before, this kind of inability, but it had returned with no effort on his part. This was something totally different. Something he wasn't prepared for by a long shot. He was not strong enough. But you did get it, Duo, he remembered. You clenched your muscles back in the dungeon, before he had really entered you. You moved against his will, and it had surprised him, remember? You can do that again. What did you do the first time that got past his strength?  
  
The only reason that you could move then was because I had not yet taken full control, Miboshi's voice, liquid fire, swirled around him, making him want to cringe back, curl up, and die. Tears welled up in his spirit, but his body would not yield them.   
  
And what do you mean to do with them? Why the charade?  
  
It is my place to search your thoughts, not the other way around.   
  
What difference does it make if you tell me your secrets or not? What am I going to do with them? It's not like I can just walk up and whisper them into the priestess' ear, can I?   
  
Miboshi laughed, a dark thing that burned hotter than the desert sun. It is not information you have to worry about. Let it alone. But since we're on the subject of thoughts and plans, let's say we have a look through your memories? Want to see? Duo didn't want to see. He'd lived through them and they were tucked away for a reason. He knew that Miboshi had already seen his past and his life. He knew everything already, it was simply a threat to get him to stop his struggling. He could do that, for right now. Duo succombed to what the creature wanted, stopped pushing and retreated. However, what had taken place had given him a little piece of hope. Miboshi wouldn't tell him his plan. Why not? It didn't really matter. Unless he was afraid that Duo would regain possession of his body and reveal it. And if Miboshi was taking precautions against that. . .it meant that Duo had a chance of doing it.  
  
They made their trek for the rest of the day, the heat blurring all the miles together until Ayden couldn't tell which direction they were going, or where they had come from, and was about to the point where she no longer cared when their little caravan stopped so suddenly she almost didn't notice. The sun was not quite down, but close enough that the color of the sand and sky were not the same anymore. Heero dismounted gracefully and cautiously, making a sign for the rest of them to stay where they were. Tasuki dropped back to where Ayden and Duo were. She felt Duo's hand spasm into a fist and then relax at her waist. He'd been doing that all day, so she didn't really pay any attention.   
  
"What's going on?" She whispered as the situation seemed to call for it. "Why have we stopped?" Tasuki grinned at her, leaning in.  
  
"We've found the border," he told her, giving a strange, knowing look at Duo. "We have to stay out of sight so Heero can take over the plan." The hand tightened again.  
  
"Oh for crying out loud," Duo hissed, a little angrily. "Why doesn't he just let me do what I'm best at? He wants to get across? I can get him across."  
  
"He can get himself across, it's us he has to worry about," Ayden muttered in her throat. She knew very well that the problem was the number of people and horses that were in the company.   
  
"Don't you think it would be less dangerous for him than you?" Tasuki was asking.   
  
"Not in the least," Duo broke in before Ayden was sure that Tasuki was finished speaking. "Here, watch the lady for me, make sure she doesn't get into trouble. I'm going after that stubborn baka." He slipped off the saddle and into the coming night, disappearing before Ayden had really seen him at all. Maybe he was as good as his word.  
  
"Arrogant bastard, isn't he?" Tasuki murmured, nudging his horse a little closer to Ayden. "Let's hope he knows as much as he says he does."  
  
"I think he does," Ayden reassured him. "I really think he does."  
  
Despite Duo's ability they did not cross the border that night. "There's way too many sentinels during the dark," Duo told them as they clustered together in the shelter of a rock. "Everyone wants to do things at night, and they expect that. No, if we're going to do this, then we have to do it the right way. . there's too many of us to get across as silent as I'd like. Besides, we need a little rest in case we have to fight our way over." Heero nodded sagaciously and everyone settled in. Ayden thought the very idea of fighting to get across was ridiculous. She could see the campfires stretching out to either side far into the distance. There were way too many of them. It would be better if no one even knew they were there.  
  
"I'll stand first watch," Duo volunteered as the twins began to care for the horses and Ayden stretched herself out after the long ride. "Be prepared for me to wake you up anytime, all right?" Heero snorted, but nodded his acceptance of Duo's offer. Chichiri gestured to the Japanese pilot and together they went a little apart to discuss some matter of delicacy. Ayden was about to go to Trowa as they had been separated since they'd left the cave, but Amiboshi got to him first. They put their heads together and didn't give her another look before also moving a ways off. This dampened her spirits slightly, and she had just begun cursing herself when Duo appeared at her shoulder.  
  
"You'd better stick close to me tonight, girly," he told her in a quiet voice. "You're the one they want, aren't you?" She nodded numbly, too tired from the journey and upset about Trowa to want to talk much. "Here, lay down and get some sleep. You never know when we might have to run again." She did as he commanded, fingering a knife in her sleeve, as he slipped away to where Heero was. Tasuki took his place, watching the braided pilot with wary eyes. Ayden sat up again to consider him.  
  
"You don't trust him, do you?" She asked even though she knew the answer already. He gave her a quick look and smile.  
  
"I don't know yet," he admitted, sitting down next to her. "He just comes off weird."  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
Tasuki shrugged, looking off in the direction Duo had gone. "I guess its nothing if you guys haven't noticed. You know him better than I do. Anyway, you, uh, you get some sleep. I'll be right here even if Trowa forgot what his mission was." Ayden narrowed her eyes at this. What was he implying? That she wasn't important to Trowa? Maybe you aren't, Ayden, she sighed as she tried to find a semi-comfortable position on the sand, maybe you aren't. She heard Tasuki behind her, settling in, and for a moment she listened to his breathing, steady and soft. She felt his eyes on her and sighed contentedly. I trust you, Tasuki, she thought right before she fell asleep.  
  
The hand over her mouth and the hush in her ear woke her up. Blinking she tried to focus on who it was that was hovering over her, but the only thing she could make out for certain was that it was still night. "Come on," came the familiar whisper and she stood silently to follow, without even thinking of what she was doing. She'd only taken a few stumbling steps before she realized that the person she was walking behind was Duo, and that everyone else was still fast asleep. She yawned, wondering what was going on. Duo led her away from the camp to where she could see the fires of the Kutou enemy.  
  
"What are we doing, Duo?" She asked quietly. He gave her a ready smile, a reassuring smile.  
  
"We're going across the border, one at a time. I found a gap between the tents with no guards and somewhere safe to hide on the other side, but all of us at once is sure to bring someone onto us."  
  
"Who's over there already?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "You're going first, that's safest, and Heero is coming after you. Now be quiet so we can do this." He grabbed her wrist and they hurried down a sand hill into the concealment of a rock. The fires were now at eye level, bigger and more threatening. Ayden tried to swallow and found that she couldn't. Duo's voice was hoarse in her ear, as if he were having the same problem.  
  
"Do you see the space between the tents? The dark area there," he pointed and she nodded. It seemed a very small window to try and escape through, especially when eight people had to get across before anyone spotted them, but everyone said that Duo was the best at this kind of game. She wondered if he'd ever hidden this many people before. "Listen up, you're going to run through there as silently as you can. On the other side, see on the other side? Right, there's some sagebrush there, a large clump of it and an impression behind it. That's where you're going to hide and wait for the others. You got it?" She nodded, feeling her limbs begin to tremble at the thought of running across all alone. What happened, she thought as she prepared her body for the sprint, what happened to going across when it wasn't dark? "What are you, afraid?" She bit her lip, wishing that she had the soldier's nerve. I'm an acrobat, she kept repeating in her head, I'm nothing but an acrobat. "Don't be, I'm going to be right here in case anything happens." For some strange reason, that didn't exactly comfort her.  
  
"I'm here too," came another voice that made Ayden jump and Duo reach instinctively for his gun. She turned her head to see the shadow in the darkness that neither one of them had heard come up behind them. The moonlight glinted off the gold at the newcomer's neck, and the voice suddenly registered as Tasuki. "Just in case." Ayden smiled, but Duo didn't unclench his fist or pull his hand away from where the gun was secreted. "In fact," Tasuki continued, giving Duo a look of distrust. "How about if I went first? There's no gaurantee that there's no one on guard there. It might just be a trick to lure us in."   
  
Duo shrugged suddenly, spreading his hands as if to wash them from the affair. "Sure, go ahead, but go silently and hide in the brush there to wait for the others." Tasuki gave Duo a long searching look, his hand reaching behind him to fish something out from under his coat. He was still staring at the younger boy when he pulled out a large, iron fan. Ayden sucked in her breath to see it, wondering what sort of weapon it was.  
  
"Be careful," she whispered to him, clasping her hands together nervously. He favored her a fond smile, patting the fan.  
  
"Don't worry. I've got it covered." Without another sound he jogged, almost nonchalantly, across the impenetrable border to the other side. Duo had been right, there was no one there. Ayden sighed in relief as Tasuki ducked behind the sagebrush, raising his hand above it to gesture her forward. It'll be all right, she told her shaking knees, Tasuki made it over without any trouble.   
  
"Ok, girly, your turn," Duo whispered in her ear. "No sound, remember." She nodded, gulping one last breath of air, before stepping out of the safety of the rock. Time slowed down. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, fast and hard, as she ducked her head and ran. The tents were coming up now, she could see the patches on the fabric in the moonlight. But there's no one there, she reminded herself, so just keep running to Tasuki. She raised her eyes to see if she could see him, and found him leaping from the concealment of the brush, his fan opening. What was he doing? A yell shattered her heartbeat, and she froze as three men jumped from the supposedly empty tents. They'd been waiting for her! Her hand found its way into her sleeve without any conscious thought on her part. The dagger was drawn and thrown all by itself, and it wasn't until she saw the blood blossoming from the throat of her attacker that she realized she had just committed murder. A hand grabbed her from behind, but she pivoted away from it, ducking under another man's grasp and running. There was someone right behind her, she could hear his footsteps in the sand, but she dared not turn and see. There was a twang, as of an arrow being loosed into the night. She waited for it to connect with something, but it never touched her. She almost glanced back to see what had become of the archer, but a sudden dip in the sand twisted her ankle and wrenched her equilibrium. As she went down to her knees, she fumbled in her other sleeve to get the other dagger. But when she turned to throw it, she recognized Tasuki rushing towards her, the enemy behind him.   
  
On his way by her, he bent down and scooped her from the sand in a very neat and surprsing fashion. Almost casually, he tossed her over his shoulder even as he turned back to face their pursuers. The fan glinted in the moonlight, and Ayden wondered what was going to happen.  
  
"Rekka Shinen!" Even as the words left Tasuki's mouth a stream of fire exploded from the tip of his fan, cannoning into the soldiers who followed them. Ayden had never seen the like. She would never have guessed that Tasuki would have this kind of power. The men who had lived through the inferno skittered to a halt and ran back the other way. Tasuki snorted softly at the outcome and hurried on away from the border, folding up the fan again on the way.  
  
Ayden wished that he would put her down and explain what had happened, and where Duo was, but he ran on carrying her as if she weighed about the same as his fan. Clouds passed over the moon, and Tasuki stumbled several times in the dark, but they continued for what seemed to Ayden, who had nothing to do but try not to impede Tasuki's movement, like a ridiculously long time. They'd never be able to find Duo again, not to mention the others who weren't even awake when all this had happened.  
  
It was almost sunrise when Tasuki tripped for the last time. Ayden was jolted from his shoulder and fell onto her back in the sand, looking up at him. His face was pale, and he didn't move from his hands and knees, his mouth open and gasping. She sat up quickly, hoping he hadn't hurt himself, and the movement made him look up at her.  
  
"Are you," he gasped. "Are you ok?" She nodded numbly, wondering why his face was so pale since he'd been running for so long. "Good." He allowed himself to drop down to the ground, shifting so that he was stretched out on his back. That's when Ayden noticed that his clothes were stained dark on the left side of his body in ruddy streams. Questioningly, she touched his coat to find it sticky and wet.   
  
"Tasuki," she croaked in surprise. "You're bleeding!" This gained a laugh.  
  
"Yeah, stupid archer got lucky if you ask me. I wasn't even the target. It's just a graze; I'll be fine." Ayden now realized who had been the recipient of the arrow she had heard. The arrow that had been meant for her had hit Tasuki. And here he'd been carrying her all night!   
  
"Take off your coat, Tasuki, let me see." He rolled his eyes over to her, making her realize how tired he was. She tugged at his arm to pull him upright, helping him to shuffle out of the sticky coat, and lifting his shirt to see the graze in the light of the coming sun. He was right, it was only a graze, but his constant movement had not allowed it to scab over. Deftly, she unwrapped the cloth around her wrist, knowing that Amiboshi wouldn't mind donating it to this use, and secured it tightly around Tasuki to stop the bleeding. All the while she worked, he had to lean into her, and when she was finished he fell back onto the sand, closing his eyes. She covered him with the coat as it was still cold on the desert.  
  
"That should do for a while, but let's not do it again, ok?" She told him as she stretched out next to him, propping herself up on her elbow so she could watch his face. He grinned.  
  
"Fine by me," he muttered in a sleepy voice before nodding off and leaving her to her own thoughts. She looked off at the mountains, towering miles away, and wondered what had become of the others. Had the Kutou soldiers found them in all the commotion they had caused? Had they been able to get past the border? How would they meet up with them again? Maybe you never will, Ayden. Maybe you're stuck out here with Tasuki until you die of thirst or heat. All the water pouches were with the horses, she remembered with sudden dismay. Now what are we going to do? We can't go back, and we're all alone. Sure, Tasuki was a mountain bandit, but what good was that going to do them here? He was injured and out of his territory. And what about Trowa? Ayden bit her lip at the thought of him. Would he come looking for her? Would he care enough to come looking for her when he hadn't stayed by her last night? She sat up, drawing her knees to her chest, and getting ready for what was going to be a most refreshing cry, when she heard a shout carried on the wind.  
  
Startled, she drew her dagger and stood up to see an approaching figure on the horizon. It was moving quite fast over the sand, as if it had caught sight of her, and it called out again. She squinted to see if she could make out who or what it was, ready to take aim if necessary, but by this time Tasuki had heard the shouts as well and was standing beside her.  
  
"What the devil is that?" He whispered, fingering his fan. "It'll keep its distance if it knows what's good for it."  
  
"Don't overdo it, Tasuki," Ayden warned as the figure focused into someone she recognized. "It's just Duo." Tasuki clicked his tongue.  
  
"How convenient," he hissed, dropping to his knees. "And where has he been all this time?" This was, to Ayden, a fair question. She'd thought he was long gone. She couldn't remember seeing him at all after the fight began.   
  
"Oh man, there you are," Duo puffed as he jogged into their company. He looked wide awake, bright and cheerful as ever. Tasuki snorted what might have been a greeting or a threat before flopping back down. "Wasn't easy tracking you down."  
  
"So why bother?" Tasuki rumbled, pulling the coat over his eyes to block out the newly risen sun. Duo just blinked at him.  
  
"I had to return something," he reached into his clothes to retrieve Ayden's dagger. The blood of the man it had killed was washed away, and it gleamed innocently in his hand as he offered it to Ayden. "Thought you'd be needing this." Tasuki poked his head out for a second to see what it was. "You're a better shot with that thing than I expected."   
  
"Thank you," seemed to be the only thing Ayden could say, being so surprised that he had caught up to them, found them in the middle of nothing but sand, and had thought to bring the dagger back to her to begin with. He stretched his arms behind his head in a graceful fashion, breaking the spell. "But what happened to the others?"  
  
Duo coughed. "Yeah, about them. After you two took off I ran back to warn them, but I couldn't find them," Ayden grabbed hold of his arms at this.  
  
"What about Trowa? Is he all right?"  
  
"Trowa? He's a Gundam pilot, of course he's all right. Since we sparked some attention they probably had to make a run for it."  
  
"So we're all split up," Ayden sighed. "What do we do now? How do we find them again?" Duo looked surprised.  
  
"They're gonna have to find their own way, girly. As for us, I'd say we should get our fire headed friend here out of the sun for a while."  
  
  
Trowa clenched his fist tightly, digging his fingers deep into the burning sand. How could he have let this happen? He should have stayed closer, paid more attention. Then he would have known the moment she had left the camp. He could have gone with her, protected her like he was supposed to. Why had he ever left her side? How could he possibly think her safe in the company. I wasn't that far away, he thought, how did she do it?  
  
"Trowa," Amiboshi's shy call made him drop the sand and turn. The twin was still wearing Ayden's clothes. How could you have been so stupid, Trowa? Trying to pull such a ruse, guarding the warrior and leaving the girl on her own. "What do we do now, Trowa?"   
  
"We'll have to try and find them," Trowa sighed, looking off at the unchanging landscape in every direction. "They must have gotten past the border." If they were still on the Konan side then they should have met up with them by now. But then again, you should have met up with Heero and the blue-haired man too, shouldn't you? Trowa had no idea where those two had gone, but wasn't quite as concerned about their safety. He knew Heero too well, and figured the other guy could hold his own.   
  
"How do we get across the border?" Suboshi questioned from where he was reclining on the sand in the shadow of a boulder. Trowa gave him a glance, glad that he was awake. In the confusion last night the boy had taken an arrow to the shoulder. It hadn't stopped him killing two of the soldiers that had come after them, but when all was quiet again he had collapsed into his brother and lost consciousness.   
  
Trowa shook his head. "I haven't figured that out yet." He cursed himself again. Why couldn't he be more like Duo for this kind of situation? But then again, Duo had failed in getting them all across hadn't he? Trowa almost punched the sand. He had failed and now they were separated. Ayden was out there somewhere in all that wretched blinding dust, kept from him by distance and a long line of an enemy he had not meant to fight.   
  
Amiboshi settled himself down next to his brother, taking his flute from his cloak. He gave Trowa a beckoning gesture, but Trowa was too restless for the music Amiboshi would be playing. It made the twin sigh when Trowa stared off again toward the mountain ridge. "We're all worried about the Priestess, but there's nothing we can do yet," he told Trowa almost too calmly. "She's not alone. She has two warriors with her."  
  
But will it be enough? Trowa questioned, wishing he were one of the two. He shook his head, forcing himself to sit down with the twins and think of a plan. Things that hadn't gone the way they should could only be thrown out and not thought of. There was no direction except forward. Besides Trowa, a new thought gave him renewed peace, Duo is with her. Duo will keep her safe. 


	5. The Fire Bandit

Part 5: The Fire Bandit  
  
Duo shivered within the prison of his body, his eyes searching the shimmering heat outside the cave they had taken shelter in. There would be no one coming, he knew, they were all on the other side of the border and scattered. She was so unprotected here, unprotected and unknowing of the danger she was in. That's right, Miboshi cooed the smile into his brain. She was lucky the last time, but here there will be little left to stop me. It was Duo's turn to smile. There had been two last times. Miboshi had obviously not expected the girl to be able to defend herself as well as she had. Duo didn't think that even he could have thrown that dagger with the kind of precision and flare that she had. And then the arrow. He would have liked to have thought that it had been part of his doing that caused the arrow to miss its target, but he knew better. It had been dark, the only thing to follow was a sound. It was amazing that it had hit anything at all, and great fortune that it had only grazed Tasuki's side. But would he still be able to protect her? Against him? Duo could feel Miboshi tensing and untensing his muscles, savoring the strength of Duo's body. Duo knew very well what he was capable of. He had committed murder himself. Murder and stealth were his trademarks. He could kill both Tasuki and Ayden before they even realized what was going on. The rest of the Suzaku Seven would wander around the desert in a vain search until Konan was under Kutou's power. It would just be too simple. It was amazing to believe that Nakago had even thought the girl a threat. Miboshi turned to gaze back into the cave, looking at the girl who was allowing Tasuki a few swallows from a water bottle that "Duo" had brought to them.  
  
Duo knew what the demon thought about her. He thought her weak and much too caring to be worth the trouble of fighting. Killing her would be about as difficult as squeezing the life from some infant bird, and with her all the dreams of summoning Suzaku would be dead. Ah, but hadn't she already saved herself once? This supposedly innocent, ignorant girl had pulled steel death from her sleeve in an instant and without a fraction of hesitation delivered it to one who had opposed her. She had proven herself. But that might not be enough here. That man had been surprised while Miboshi was always watchful. Besides, why would she even think she was in danger?  
  
"How is he?" Miboshi formed the words as Ayden came to the mouth to see what he had been contemplating for so long. She looked tired and frightened and sad, but otherwise normal. The dagger was shifting in her fingers nervously.  
  
"He'll be fine, but we shouldn't make him move too much for a couple days. It may reopen." Miboshi nodded sagaciously, his eyes moving downward to the dagger that she twisted absentmindedly.  
  
"Think we'll need that do you?" He asked with a wink. Yeah, thought Duo, you want her to put it away. You want her to feel safe so you can attack. Well, she's smarter than that. She's on her guard and you can't touch her. As if to prove a point, Miboshi laid his hand over Ayden's. She startled, but not much. "You've never killed before have you?" The tone he used was concerned and sympathetic, but he only wanted the answer to use against her. She shook her head, her eyes suddenly brimming tears.  
  
"I don't know why I did it. I didn't know I was doing it." The hand that held the dagger trembled beneath Duo's fingers. "And by the time I realized what happened there was nothing I could do." Duo's face tightened in surprise.  
  
"But he was going to kill you. It was self defense. You can't blame yourself for that."  
  
"I shouldn't have been able to do it! I took a life, a life that I had no right to. I murdered someone I didn't even know." Miboshi softened his expression to one of sadness.  
  
"Yes, that I can understand well," he murmured, looking down.  
  
"Oh, I didn't realize," Ayden stammered suddenly, clenching his sleeves tightly in her fists, the dagger pointed away and harmless. "I'm so sorry, Duo, I keep forgetting who you are." Miboshi shook his head.  
  
"No, it's fine. It's just," he paused to sigh. "I'm just sorry you have to go through it too." In a false show of compassion, Miboshi pulled Ayden's shaking body close, his hand reaching up to stroke her hair comfortingly. She's not as strong as you thought, is she? Miboshi giggled madly. Now feel the bones as I snap her neck in two. Duo began to scream, fought, tightened everything he could, willing it to stop. Not her, Trowa would never forgive me. She doesn't deserve it.  
  
"Ayden," Tasuki's voice, hoarse yet loud, jerked the lithe girl from his grasp. She stepped back, the dagger now pointed directly into Duo's abdomen. There would be no stepping forward for him, and in another second she had left his side all together, beyond his reach for the time being. Miboshi cursed softly even while Duo laughed.  
  
"What is it Tasuki?" Ayden knelt beside him in an easy motion. They'd brought him back here, away from the sun, so that he could rest and heal. He'd been asleep all morning, but now was beginning to be restless. When he began to sit up Ayden reached out to prevent him, but he only took her hand tightly in his own and pulled her down closer.  
  
"Don't be alone with him, ever, you got that?" His eyes were bright, almost feverish. She wondered if he knew what he was saying.  
  
"But he's one of the Suzaku Seven, Tasuki," she pointed out. "Remember? He's the final warrior. We don't have to worry about him." The flame haired man risked a look at the boy in black.  
  
"I know who he is, but something about him just doesn't seem right. He's way too calm about everything." Ayden smiled.  
  
"So are Heero and Trowa. It's just how they work. We're all from the same place, you see and-"  
  
"No, Ayden, pay attention, ok? Never turn your back to him, always keep him in sight. Stay with me, if we're separated it'll be dangerous for you." He moved his hand from her wrist to her sleeve, pinching the dagger he knew she carried there. "And keep that in the open like you've been doing."  
  
She opened her mouth to try and reason away his worries, but she could only say, "All right," when she looked at the serious expression on his usually grinning face. He meant what he was telling her, and she would do well to follow what he said. Even if it was just the fever talking, it wouldn't hurt to be on guard, she rationalized. But Duo. It's only Duo. She turned her head to see him staring at her, smiling softly and genuinely. He wouldn't do anything. He'd brought her dagger back, and news of the others, and water. He was the one who had all but carried Tasuki to this cave and rebandaged his wound. And to top all of that, he was a Gundam pilot, fighting in another war to save the independence of people he didn't know. No, Tasuki, you have to be wrong about him. I know him, and he's not, but she paused. Did she know him? The first time they had met he had called himself the God of Death. She looked at him again as he watched the sunset outside, saw how the fading light cast him into a bloody glow. A shiver ran up her back, causing her to tense. She thought of Heero and how he had tried to murder her when he realized that she knew his secret. They were dedicated to nothing but the mission, all of them, even Trowa. Without thinking she drew her dagger again, twisting it in her fingers. The feel of the cool steel brought back other thoughts.  
  
I've used this to kill, even though the blood is washed off I still remember what I've done with it. This is a harsh place, and if I want to survive then I'm going to have to become like them. Like Heero and Wufei. I have to practice until I can do it perfectly without sense. I've already crossed the threshold. I'm already a murderer. There's no way to go back, but there is a way to get out. Her hand ceased trembling as a terrible calm eased its way into her. And if I have to I'll carve the path to it with this.  
  
A slight movement, like the skittering of a rock over a pond, caught Duo's attention. There was something out there, moving fast over the nothing. As it drew near Miboshi began to cackle, a harsh sound that seared into Duo's soul. He could now tell what it was that rushed for them so boldly. Ashtare. He's finally found us, Miboshi snickered. Our surprise attack. The moment we leave this cave, he'll be waiting for her.  
  
"Ayden, Tasuki," Miboshi called over his shoulder. "I'm going for a quick scout around us to see if we're still safe or if any of the others are wandering out there, all right?"  
  
"Are you sure you'll be ok out there? You'll be able to find your way back?" Ayden was concerned. Miboshi waved his hand at her.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. I'll be back in a little while. Why don't you two just relax? I might even be able to rustle us up something to eat while I'm at it." Ayden smiled and nodded her acceptance to his departure. "Ok then, see you in a bit." With a final wave and grin, he stepped into the sunset and jogged off to meet his fellow warrior on the dunes.  
  
"Is he gone?" Tasuki asked even as he used the wall to stand. Ayden hurried to his side, trying to support him even as she began to pull him back to the cool floor.   
  
"He'll be all right, Tasuki," she eased him. "He said he'd be right back." The red haired young man shook her off him with surprising strength for being injured.  
  
"And by the time he gets here we'll be long gone." Ayden cocked her head, puzzling out what he was saying.  
  
"You mean leave him behind? But why? We need him to conduct the ceremony. You've been searching for him for such a long time, why abandon him now?"  
  
"Because I don't like the way he looks at you, Ayden. He isn't from here; he doesn't understand about the summoning process."  
  
"Tasuki, what are you saying? What would he do to me?" Tasuki slipped a water bag over his shoulder, wincing slightly.  
  
"I don't know, Ayden, but there's always this twisted affection in his eyes so I'd rather not sacrifice all we've worked for to find out. He'll catch up; he's good that way, but I hope by the time he finds us we'll be safe on Mt. Taikyoku. Come on, let's get out of here." Ayden began another protest, but he was already out of the cave. Besides, he was stronger and more stubborn than she had ever been. There was nothing for it except to follow him, just in case he needs my help out there, Ayden rationalized as she slipped out behind him. She hoped Duo would be able to come after as Tasuki had predicted. How would they explain it to him when he found them?   
  
"Heero, look at that," Chichiri whispered harshly as he gestured toward the Kutou camp. Heero was on his stomach at his side in a moment, his eyes taking in all the surrounding area at once. The camp was there, a few men with bandages on arms and faces, and several tents were partially collapsed due to fire it appeared.   
  
"That's where they crossed," he determined from the scene. "Looks like they got away." Chichiri nodded, smiling.  
  
"That means she's safe and on her way to the mountain, you know. Tasuki is with her."  
  
"We'll have to follow them, maybe catch up in another day if we go quickly." Chichiri nodded again, backing away so as not to be seen and standing up. Heero followed suit, watching as the taller man drew his blue cloak from his shoulders and spread it on the sand.  
  
"Get on," he instructed Heero, who did as he was told automatically. "I couldn't do this for all of us at once, there were too many, you know," Chichiri explained almost apologetically. "But since it's just you and me then we won't have any problems." Heero stood on the cloak and waited, not even bothering to ask what the man meant. He didn't really care, so long as he wasn't wasting time. Time was very important at the moment. Chichiri delicately stepped onto the cloak next to Heero and with a whispered word thrust his staff into the sand with a sharp clang. The fabric was pulled downward into the sand, making Heero tense to leap away from the dangerous area. But Chichiri, with a laugh, grabbed his shirt and they sank down into the darkness. Heero reached for a gun that wasn't there out of habit, but didn't really miss it until he felt himself drop from the sand and into a hallway of some kind. He paused for only a moment to wonder why there was a hall underneath the sand and how Chichiri knew about it, but his reflexes took over as a young girl rushed in to them, a large smile spread over her features.  
  
"Chichiri!" She squealed, running into his outsretched arms and kissing his grin-strained cheek. "You came back!"   
  
"Yan-Yan!" Chichiri hugged her tight before she pulled back to give Heero a curious glance, not a fearful one, one that Heero thought would have been more appropriate. Obviously the girl didn't know any better and wasn't afraid of him. . . .yet.  
  
"Who did you bring with you?" She asked bluntly, staring at Heero who glared back in an attempt to instill the unease and desire to avoid him that he liked best about being himself. She just giggled. "He looks funny."  
  
"This is a guardian of the Priestess of Suzaku. We've come to get the scroll from Taitskun, you know."  
  
"Yes," she grew serious. "I know. She's waiting for you, but the Priestess isn't here yet." Heero was just about to offer to go out and search for her when the little girl reached away from Chichiri to put her arms around his neck. He startled, but had no choice but to take her from the taller man who was already walking quickly down the hall to meet the infamous Taitskun. It was all too strange for Heero. They'd gone through all that travel when he could just toss his cloak down and bring them there in a blink? And what about all that talk that she was never in the same place twice and it would be impossible for them to find her? Apparently not for Chichiri. If that had been the case why hadn't they just sent the magician off to the mountain to get the scroll for them? Then they could have saved a lot of time, they wouldn't have gotten scattered, but they wouldn't have found Duo either, he supposed, sighing.  
  
The girl, Yan-Yan, snuggled close against him, making him want to drop her. She was incredibly light and smelled of the kind of wind that carries the rain. It was a refreshing kind of smell, and that was the only reason he could give himself for why she was still in his arms. "Suzaku is strong with you," she told him in a sleepy sort of little girl voice. "That's why you were allowed to come here." He grunted, his usual answer to everything. "An evil hearted person wouldn't have been able to see any of this." Heero didn't know if he believed that, but shrugged it off and began to follow in the direction Chichiri had gone. Yan-Yan chattered along the way about how Chichiri had come to them years before, wounded and sad. She told how she had nursed him back to life and how Taitskun had taught him magic. Heero snorted at the magic part, but it was almost all a show. There were quite a few things about this world, and Chichiri in general that could be explained by nothing except a force that needed no explanation. He wondered what this girl was doing here, where here was exactly, and why he was here to begin with. And now Ayden and Trowa and Duo were all split up in the desert. It would be such a delay before he could get back to his own war. He hoped Quatre and Wufei would be able to handle it themselves.  
  
"The Priestess of Suzaku? Do you really believe that," laughed an ancient voice from a room to Heero's left. Gently, he set the girl on the floor so he could peek around the corner to see who was there and what they were talking about. All he could make out from his position was Chichiri, kneeling respectfully before someone unseen, the owner of the voice.  
  
"But," he stuttered in a tone that Heero had never heard him use before. "She fulfills every prophesy. How could we have been mistaken?" Heero debated entering. He wanted to see the person they had travelled so far to see, but now that she was saying that Ayden wasn't what they were searching for after all he wondered if their safety here had become unsure.  
  
"Did you really think, Chichiri," the voice droned. "That this little girl you've brought with you is capable of handling the summoning? If that is so I might as well send Yan-Yan back with you for the task."  
  
"So, you're saying that she's not the real Priestess?" Chichiri suddenly sounded tired, defeated. "But if she's not. . . .then who is she?"  
  
"Hold on just one minute," Heero decided against his better judgment to go in and speak on Ayden's behalf. He didn't want to have to fight against everyone in this ridiculous world. Chichiri looked up, startled and Heero almost took a step back. His face had changed completely, no longer the smiling fox look to it. One eye was open and reddish brown, while the other was sealed tightly shut by a scar that ran across his nose and up his eye to his forehead. His other face was just a mask; Heero could see it in his hand. He didn't have the time to ask him about it, though.  
  
"And what do we have here?" Came the voice again, making him turn to finally see. He cringed back from the hideous old woman who apparently sat crosslegged in midair. She was old, so impossibly old. Everything about her was impossible, and Heero was right to cringe. "You couldn't wait for us, Heero? Hurry up, say what you interrupted us to say."  
  
"What makes you think Ayden isn't the Priestess?" He asked, begging his logic to stay with him so he could outwit this old hag. "Chichiri said that she matches all descriptions of her." Taitskun smiled, obviously amused at his attempts. "Who are you that you can know such a thing when you've never even seen her?" And how the devil did you know my name?  
  
"It is strange that you fight for her now, when you yourself don't believe she is what Chichiri claims." Heero paused, hating the woman suddenly for getting it exactly right. How dare she know his thoughts? What kind of witch was she? He shook himself. "And I have seen her. I've been watching you all from the moment you left Konan. I think you all trust much too easily, both friends and strangers." Heero decided he'd puzzle that one out later.  
  
"A test then," he burst out. "Set a test for her to prove it." Chichiri stood to stand beside him, his mask back in place and Yan-Yan at his side. Taitskun never turned her eyes to look at him.  
  
"A test?" She snickered. "She had already failed her test before you left the threshold of the palace. She's put her warriors in danger and has not taken responsibility to speak up."  
  
"Speak up against what?" Heero demanded. If Ayden were going to be taking this much abuse then it had better be pretty clear as to why or he'd have something to say about it. Sure, he didn't know her very well, but she'd kept his secret and helped them out when they needed it. Honor wouldn't let him just abandon her to this madwoman's prejudice. Taitskun merely smiled.  
  
"Exactly," she sighed. "Begone, you shall not be taking the scroll until the true Priestess of Suzaku stands before me to claim it." Heero felt his muscles clench. Yan-Yan was tugging at his arm, but he shrugged away from her. He wasn't giving up yet.  
  
"She didn't have to come here in the first place to help your miserable little planet," he hissed, not knowing where this rage was coming from. Helplessness, he decided later, but he knew that it was something more. "She's trying to do everything that's asked of her even though she knows the danger she's putting herself in. She was willing to lose everything for people she doesn't know. If she's not the Priestess I don't know where you'll find a better one, and the least you could do would be to set a test for her that she understands the stakes for so that there won't be one shred of doubt left in any of us as to whether she is or isn't."   
  
Chichiri tentatively stepped forward. "That's a good idea, you know," he spoke softly, as if to calm everyone down while making his opinions apparent. "That way we can be sure, can't we?"   
  
Taitskun sighed. "Oh very well. You may go." Heero was about ready to protest, but Yan-Yan grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room. Nothing left to do but wait.  
  
"That was pretty brave of you, you know," Chichiri grinned at him from the pillow he had sagged into. They were in some other kind of room, this one strewn about with comfortable looking pillows, pitchers of water, and even bowls of fruit. It was almost like the room in the emperor's palace, exept it was smaller and green and pink instead of scarlet. Heero shook his head from his own pillow.  
  
"It was necessary," was all he could say. He'd used up all his words with Taitskun. "What would happen to her if she's not what you want her to be?" Chichiri gave him a confused look.  
  
"Well, that would be up to you, you know." Then he laughed as he caught on to what Heero was saying. "You're a good warrior, you know. Even if she turns out not to be the Priestess, you will have my respect and allegance. I'm sorry if we made it seem like there wasn't a choice involved, you know, but Ayden could have said she didn't want to do it from the start." He leaned closer. "Personally, I'm really glad she said she would. It's been an honor getting to know you." Heero favored the fox man with a rare smile. That was a good thing to know. Allies were handy in unfamiliar settings. Chichiri nodded, about to say something else, when the door opened admitting Yan-Yan again into their company. She'd been ordered to stay with Taitskun to prepare for the demanded test. Her eyes were sad as she joined them, her hands fidgeting in front of her.  
  
"What happened, Yan-Yan?" Chichiri asked gently, sitting up and beginning to open his arms for her in a paternal gesture. But she ran instead to Heero, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest, beginning to sob. Heero resisted the urge to shake her, looking up at Chichiri for assistance. The older man could only shrug. Hesitantly, because he didn't really know what he was doing, Heero put his arms around the little body that was pressed against him, and rocked.   
  
"Don't cry," he told her, a little gruffly. "Tell us what happened."  
  
"Taitskun set the test," Yan-Yan gulped. "She's going to make her be all alone and show her true nature."  
  
"Well, that's all right, you know. That's what she had to do," Chichiri reassured, stroking one light green pigtail. Yan-Yan shook her head.  
  
"She said she had to go inside herself and really see. . .everything." She was done talking by then, nestling her head into Heero's shoulder. Chichiri backed up a little as if he finally understood.  
  
"What's she going to do?" Heero demanded. The blue haired warrior only shook his head, and moved back.  
  
***  
  
"Tasuki, I really think we need to stop for a minute," Ayden called, trying to make her muscles work enough so she could jog up next to him. As captivating as his back was, she was growing rather tired of looking at it. Besides, the farther they went the harder it was to walk through the sand, it tugged at her ankles and heels, making her exhausted and frustrated. She began to wonder if it would be any easier to walk on her hands, and then she began to wonder how Tasuki was holding up so well. When his shoulders hunched forward and she could hear his quick breathing she realized he wasn't holding up as well as she thought. "I need a rest," she told him, hoping that his masculine pride would allow him to stop if it were for her sake. The waterbag slipped from his shoulder and he followed it down to the ground. One hand curled across to his side, pressing there as if testing to see if it were bleeding, but it was pulled away quickly, as if he hoped that she wouldn't notice.   
  
"If you say so," he tried to laugh, but couldn't quite manage his cheerful bark like he used to. "You don't see that kid behind us, do you?"  
  
Ayden lifted her hands as a shield for the sun, squinting against the heat waves that rose from the ground and shimmered everything into incredulity. "No, he's not there," she reassured. Tasuki nodded, satisfied. "How are you doing?"  
  
He shrugged, not wanting her to know the truth of the answer. "I miss my horse," was all she could get him to say about himself. But she could tell by the way he was breathing, and the color of his face.  
  
"We should have stayed in the cave for a while longer," she said, speaking softly. "It was out of the sun in any case."  
  
Tasuki sighed, unclosing his eyes to pin her with a stare. "I told you. There's something about that kid that I don't like." It was Ayden's turn to sigh. She just didn't understand what there could be to Duo that anyone wouldn't like. Unless, maybe, he was too much like Tasuki. She decided to just drop it.  
  
"Well, maybe we can find somewhere closeby where we can stay until the sun goes down." Tasuki looked about ready to protest. "You have to hold still, and the heat isn't helping anyone. I'm going to the top of that hill to see if there's anywhere." Tasuki looked dubious. "Don't worry, I won't get lost, you'll be able to keep me in sight from here. I'll be back in two minutes, I promise. Ok?" If he hadn't been too tired and hurting he probably wouldn't have nodded. However, since there weren't that many options open at the moment, there wasn't anything else he could do.  
  
Giving a nod of her own, Ayden jogged up the hill. She found that jogging was actually easier than walking because the sand didn't have as much of a chance of pulling her down if she moved faster. The top of the hill proved a poor vantage point. Although the mountains could be seen in the distance, and what a distance it was, she thought with sudden dismay, there weren't any rocks or caves or anything close. There was nothing but waves and waves of sand. We're going to die out here, the thought came almost casually. We're going to run out of water and die. She turned to look back the way they had come, seeing Tasuki still crouched where she'd left him. Far far off she could see the cave they had been in and wondered if she could convince Tasuki to return to it if he were delirious enough. She waved to him, letting him know that everything was fine, even though it really wasn't, and took a step to begin the trek back down to him.   
  
The sand curled around her ankle. It would have made her trip except there was no longer anything left to trip on. The grainy substance swirled around her and she fell straight down into a hole that had no business being there in the first place. It was not a long fall, but it ended on something very hard. Lucky that her body had automatically coiled and she had landed perfectly on her feet or she might have broken something important. She looked up quickly to find the hole completely covered over with sand once more. It was pitch dark and she had no idea where she was, or how she'd gotten there.  
  
"Tasuki!" She cried first, wondering if he had seen her fall. She wanted to warn him not to come close, that it must be quicksand or something. What on earth was a hole doing there though? And why did the sand recover it? It must not have been just any ordinary hole. Being denied her sight, she stood still, trying to determine anything by her other senses. Trowa could have done that in a flash, but the only thing she could hear was the steady dripping that made her think she must be in a cave. All right, she thought, I'm in a cave, but how do I get out?  
  
Blind, she began a slow and painful trek toward nothing in particular, just a direction that seemed to be open to her as she hadn't bumped into anything yet. She could still hear the dripping, and thought it sounded louder than before and it might be a good idea to follow it. If she had some water supply here then she might live long enough to get back to Tasuki.  
  
"Ack!" Ayden grunted as she tripped on what had to be the hundredth loose rock. Her scraped hands once again saved her face, but they did so with a great amount of protest. Ayden sat up, rubbing her palms on the softness of her clothing. More than anything she wanted to just give up and cry, but seeing as that would do her no good either, there was nothing for her except to creep along and hope she could find something that might lead her out of here. On hands and knees she resumed her journey, only to find that if she had gone one more step she would have fallen right into what she had been seeking. An underground stream rolled gently along the cave's floor, the source of the dripping sound she'd been following was really this stream. Now if only she could transport some of it up to where Tasuki was. Or rather have him down here in the coolness. That way they could rest a while and let his wounds heal before setting out again for the mountain.   
  
As she was thinking of different ways of either getting Tasuki down or water up, Ayden allowed her abused hands to travel towards the running water. The moment her fingers touched the cold wetness there came a sharp sound, as if a torch were being lit by someone, and then Ayden's eyes closed involuntarily as the brightness encircled her.  
  
"Lady Ayden?" Came a soft and gentle voice Ayden was sure she had heard before. Her mind rolled a bit as she squinted into the sudden light, attempting to discover exactly who it was who had also managed to get lost in this underground wonderment.   
  
"Your Majesty!" She squeaked, blinking hard to make sure he was really standing there. Yes, it had to be him. His clothes were scarlet, and the great pheonix Suzaku was embroidered along the sleeves. It was him, standing there and holding a lantern, looking at her with an expression of concern and awed affection. "How did you. . .what's going on?" He favored her with a look of puzzlement as he knelt elegantly beside her. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, I was worried about you so I decided to set out and see if you were all right." Ayden raised an eyebrow at this. How could he possibly have found her when she didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there? "It's a good thing I found you too. Tasuki is quite worried and waiting for us above." He nodded his head towards the land she had left. His hand swept out to help her to her feet. She found herself marveling at his grace.   
  
"What about the others? Did you find them?" She heard herself asking, though she wasn't really thinking about them. She was watching the Emperor's face, all gentle lines and caring eyes. He smiled, curling a protective arm around her waist to aid her through the uneven terrain.   
  
"Fine as far as we can tell," he assured her as he began to lead her out of the cave. "Most of them made it back to Konan to let me know what had happened." Ayden didn't pause to wonder how they had gotten back so fast when it had taken them days to get this far into the desert. "The rest, Tasuki and the other, were still out here. We still haven't found him."  
  
"Who?" A rock jumped out at her, causing her to stumble slightly. Hotohori slipped down, catching her securely and managing to pull her around to face him. The fireglow glittered in his golden eyes, sparking them with wonder.  
  
"Your guardian. We haven't found him yet." But Ayden wasn't paying attention to his words any longer. She was studying his beauty in the shadows of the place, enjoying the pressure of his fingers on her back. He smelled fresh, like the wind that carries the rain, clean and soft. "Don't worry, though, it won't be long before --"  
  
"I've decided," she cut him off, staring at his eyes and feeling the corners of her mouth twitch upwards in a girlish smile. He cocked his head to consider her.  
  
"Decided?" He encouraged.  
  
"To become your Empress," her words were hollow in her ears, as if she weren't really speaking them. But she had. She had just accepted his marriage proposal. For one moment she thought there might be something wrong with that. She was only fifteen! She should be thinking about other things anyway, like finding her guardian and getting to the mountain. It was too late now, however, as her statement had brightened the gold of Hotohori's eyes. His arms circled her, pulling her close and safe.  
  
"I've never been so happy," he whispered in a strained voice. Ayden wondered briefly if she had made the wrong decision, but what could possibly be better than to be the wife of this powerful, gentle, and beautiful man? She sighed, breathing him in, drinking all of the moment. It was what he wanted, and deep in her heart she thought she wanted it too. What girl didn't? She smiled against the cloth of his shirt, savoring this first sweet moment with him before they would re-enter the harshness of the desert above them. Just one moment alone and to themselves before they would have to join with Tasuki.  
  
Tasuki gasped, gripping his side in pain as he stood beside Ayden's body. She was just here, just one moment ago she was standing right here and waving at him. Now she lay lifeless at his feet. Grimacing, Tasuki knelt at her side, gently cradling her up to a sitting position.   
  
"Ayden?" He tested her name, jerking her just slightly. When this had no effect he wet her lips with a bit of the precious water they still carried. He hadn't noticed if she were showing signs of dehydration, but he couldn't think of anything else that would cause her to just collapse when she had seemed just fine. "Priestess." Her eyes remained closed and her body limp. Tasuki began to shake, bending over her body to try and shield her from the harsh sunlight.   
  
***  
  
Something inside of Ayden's soul leaped painfully at the sight of Trowa. It had been so long since they'd been together last. He looked well, a little tan from his time spent in the desert, flawless as always. Hotohori's hand tightened at her waist, pressing her behind him. Unsteady, she went to her knees, not knowing what would possess him to do such a thing. A blinding flash accompanied the scrape of a sword being drawn. Ayden blinked, cocking her head to see Hotohori step into a fighting stance, and the scowl on Trowa's handsome face.  
  
"Ayden," he barked her name in the way she was used to. But she wasn't used to the glint of steel she caught a glimpse of in his hand. "We're leaving now. Come on, Heero's waiting." She stood immediately, already forgetting her promise to become Hotohori's bride. The emperor flashed out an arm, catching her and holding her back.  
  
"Don't go to him, Ayden," he cautioned in a low tone. "He's not who you think he is." But of course he was. It was Trowa! He was going to take her home, back to the earth and the circus and the colonies. She wouldn't have to be the empress with him, she wouldn't have to be anyone except a gilted acrobat. Her heart twisted within her, savoring the strength of Hotohori as he held her back, and wishing to have Trowa encase her in his embrace. She told him that she would be his wife. She had also told Trowa they would return together. Hotohori growled, the blade poised and ready.  
  
"Ayden," Trowa's voice had turned pleading. He extended his free hand to her. "Don't you want to go back home?" I do, her heart wept, her feet bringing her forward.  
  
"Ayden, don't!" Hotohori could not keep his hold on her and preserve his sword stance. "Please, he's not what you think." She gave him a quizzical stare, pausing in her trek toward her Trowa.   
  
"What does that mean?" She put the question to him, but her answer came not in words, but in the song of the dagger that flew from Trowa's hand with a deadly accuracy even she could not match. By reflex alone she stretched forth her hand, catching the dagger in mid air by the blade. The sting was not as sharp as it could be, but the salty blood dripping from it made it worse. Hotohori leaped in front of her, fire in his eyes. Trowa crouched, ready for the first strike, but Ayden wouldn't have it.  
  
"Stop!" She cried, her knees trembling but nonetheless keeping her standing between the man she loved and the boy she cared for. "Don't fight! You mustn't. We're on the same side!"  
  
Hotohori lowered the blade to the desert sands, ready to give in to her request. She smiled at him, glad that she had prevented something. Yet when she turned to Trowa, there was undisguised hate in his gaze for the scarlet robed monarch behind her. "Trowa," she soothed, stepping toward him. "What is this all about?" He closed the distance between them, his eyes never leaving those of the emperor, and that's when Ayden saw the glint of the other blade.  
  
***  
  
"Ayden! Come on!" Tasuki shook her shoulders violently once more before bringing her convulsing frame closer to him. Why was she shaking? Her eyelids fluttered in some kind of private torment. Yet there was no wound, there was no sign of sickness. There was nothing he could determine about her strange malady, except the sudden appearance of blood on her right palm. Even with that there was no way he could figure out what had caused her to suddenly start bleeding. "Why won't you come back to me?" She remained unresponsive, though her fingers clenched and unclenched in agony. His eyes raised to examine the never changing landscape of sand, not being able to stand looking at her face any longer, squinting them when he caught the movement over the dunes. There was something out there, something moving fast and heading right for them. Quelling the urge to panic, Tasuki began to straighten, Ayden held tight in his arms, but the tearing of the wound at his side forced him down again. There would be no running for him, especially if he had to carry her. There would be no choice but to wait for whatever it was to come to him, and deal with it accordingly. Ayden spasmed against him, but he refused to let her go. Clinging to her with one arm, he reached behind him for his fan, preparing his body to gather the strength he would need.  
  
***  
  
"Yan-Yan!" Chichiri cried, kneeling close to Heero and peering into her little face. Her lips trembled, fighting tears, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Heero held her securely, and she hung on to his shirt with a white knuckled grip. "What's going on, Yan-Yan?"  
  
"Hey," Heero jerked her slightly, getting her to look up at him with a sorrowful gaze. "What is it?"   
  
"Taitskun," was all they could get her to say before her whimpering overtook her completely. Chichiri gave Heero a worried look. All Heero could do was shrug.  
  
"If she's really the Priestess," he heard himself saying. "Then she'll get through it."  
  
"She's the Priestess," Chichiri assured him. "But she may need our strength." Heero paused. What good would his strength do? It wasn't as if he could just hand it to her on a silver platter anyway. But Chichiri had his eyes closed, his lips moving in some soundless chant. "Picture her in your head," he commanded of a sudden. "Give her your faith." His faith? He had none. He believed in Duo's gun, and in Trowa's Gundam. There was no faith for the slight girl, especially when it came to defending herself in any kind of combat, mental or physical. But that's why she needs you, Heero, the thought drifted through the logic. Sighing, hugging Yan-Yan closer to him, he pictured the honey haired supposed Priestess of Suzaku. The wounds that Mitsukake had healed grew heated, and he believed as much as he was able.  
  
***  
  
"Trowa!" She had only enough time to gasp the name before the other dagger was slipped right by her, lodging itself deep into Hotohori's heart. The emperor grunted softly, his knees dropping him to the sand, which grew dark with the blood that flowed from the wound. Ayden fell to her own knees beside him, tears dripping down to mingle with the blood and sand. "Why?" Was the only thing she could say now. "Why, Trowa?"  
  
"So you'd have no reason to stay," he replied softly, all malice vanished from his voice. "So you'd come home with me." She looked, incredulous, over her shoulder. He was standing stoically now, no more weapons.  
  
"I would have come with you," she told him, believing it. "I would have followed you to the ends of the earth and back again. This wasn't necessary."  
  
"But you didn't stop me," he told her simply and she realized in shock that he was right. She'd caught the first blade in her hand, she could feel the blood growing sticky on her palm. But the second. She'd seen the second blade as well, but hadn't moved to stop it. She had allowed Hotohori to be killed.  
  
"Because you loved me more than him?" Trowa continued, stepping closer even as Ayden cringed away. Who did she love? Where was her loyalty? Why can't I love both? Why can't I love them both? We're all friends here.   
  
"No, Ayden," came another voice, an unfamiliar voice that chilled her to her very being. She stood beside Hotohori's body, gripping the dagger in the hand that wasn't slippery with blood. Trowa's form shifted, changing into a hideous old woman who glared at her with disappointment. "We're not all friends here."  
  
"What do you want?" Ayden questioned, relieved that it hadn't really been Trowa who had murdered the emperor. The woman laughed bitterly.  
  
"That's the question I'm asking you, Priestess, because this scene here will never do." Ayden was suddenly angry.  
  
"You're the one who killed him! I couldn't stop you! It wasn't my fault!" She held up one silencing finger and brought Ayden down to the ground with the power of the simple gesture.  
  
"But it was. You suspected no enemy, no danger from those close to you. You were trusting."  
  
"But, Trowa."  
  
"Is Trowa one of your warriors?" Ayden closed off her reply.   
  
"No," she admitted, bowing her head and feeling more than a little guilty for her feelings towards her partner.  
  
"There is real danger in this land, Ayden. Real people with bleeding hearts," the corpse of Hotohori disappeared into the sands as if he had never really been there. "Now, who do you love? Trowa or the emperor?"  
  
"Trowa," was the first name she could think of, wishing that he were here to tell her that everything was fine and that they were returning home.  
  
"He is beyond you," the woman growled, shaking her head. "The emperor as well." Ayden wondered briefly why she had bothered to ask the question in the first place. "Your emotions will betray you, Ayden. People depend on you now. People honor you and trust in you to help them live their life in freedom. Even now warriors are trying to give you their strength. Are you even listening to them? Can you even feel them?" Bowing her head, Ayden looked inward as commanded, and was amazed that indeed they were there, beating in her heart. She could hear Chichiri's calm voice soothing her tortured mind, and Tasuki's arms holding her securely, and she could feel, as if from a very great distance, an energy she was not familiar with. It pulsed within her, telling her not to be stupid, to pay attention to what she was doing.   
  
"I'm listening," Ayden said, trying to defend herself. "They're there; I can feel them."   
  
"You have failed the test," purred the woman, smirking slightly. "As I thought you would. However," her shoulders sagged. "It seems that my testing means nothing to Suzaku. Your warriors have pledged themselves fully to you, and the Phoenix has chosen you as well." She sighed. "You are weak, too trusting, and not yet wise in the ways of this world."  
  
"I can learn," Ayden defended herself quickly, not enjoying this belittlement of her character.   
  
"You'll have to. The Beast God will consume you, Priestess. Your feelings will torment you." Ayden found she was glaring at this strange ugly woman. She was not so weak as all that. Hadn't she just killed a man? She deemed the criticism slightly unjustified.  
  
"Is there nothing but horror in this place?" She burst out, frustrated. "What about all the good I've seen here? Hotohori and Tasuki, everyone who has been so kind to me." This brought the first real smile to the woman's lips. "Who are you, anyway, to know so much? Who are you to doubt me?" For a moment she wondered if she'd gone too far. Had she over stepped her boundaries of power in her station? From deep within the wrinkles, the woman's eyes were now distant, and Ayden thought that perhaps her last sentence had been overlooked.  
  
"I know all. . .I've seen it," the witch murmured. "I know the sorrows that are following at your heels, and the deepest desires of your heart that even you are not yet aware of." Ayden trembled. "I've seen the path that lies before you, and the hurt you will receive and inflict. There is terror that is yours to dispose of at will." Ayden's fingers dug deep into her already wounded palms. The voice held her captivated, spellbound by the possibilities it promised. "Yet you must also believe, as your warriors do. You must give yourself completely to the will of the Beast God. Detatch yourself from the mortal desires and feelings you are bound to and become a Priestess. Forget the boy." All Ayden's fury returned with the last words. She couldn't forget about Trowa, never, not after all that he had come to mean to her. The sense of stability he offered. But, where is he now? The thought pestered her and added upon her frustration. Where is he now that you need him most? She shook the thought clear and focused again on what was in front of her.  
  
"You haven't answered my question!" Ayden cried, noticing that the woman's body was beginning to fade into nothing. "Who are you! How do I submit to Suzaku?" How was she to know anything about it? She was not part of this land and its deities. How was she to know?  
  
"I am Taitskun, whom you seek, and who waits for you in the mountains where the falcons fly in your name. When you are ready you will find me. In the meantime, Priestess, find yourself." The sun burst through the woman's form, encasing Ayden in a harsh heat. Shielding her eyes, she fell backward onto the sand, and into a pair of waiting arms.  
  
"Priestess!" Hands tightened in surprise around her, and she blinked into focus Tasuki's scarlet eyes peering down at her. The sun was bright behind him, low to the sand. Night was coming. But where was the woman? Taitskun? Stiffening, Ayden jerked upright. Tasuki's strong body moved with her, keeping her sheltered and supported. A sting brought her attention down to her palm, where granuals had stuck into the scabbing wound. Not a dream then. "Hold still, Priestess," Tasuki was saying, pulling her down into the cradle of his embrace.   
  
Her eyes were wild and frightened, Tasuki saw in the twilight. They scanned the horizons, searching for something he could not see. Some hidden horror danced before her face, and his words were not reaching her. His entreaties for her to remain still, hoping that she would recover enough for them to start moving soon, as the figure was rapidly making progress across the dunes towards them. Squinting, he could easily make it out, some kind of animal, but his attention was jerked back to the slight girl he held as she threw her arms about his neck and buried her face against him. Her body spasmed with some kind of inner anguish.  
  
"He killed him," she was saying over and over. "Both of them are lost." Raising his hands, he cupped her head to face her.  
  
"What are you saying? Who's lost?" She was looking dead at him, but his words seemed to be passing straight through her. "Priestess, please, you're not making sense." His fingers slipped under her eyes, brushing the tears down the backs of his hands. The silhouette in the distance was growing larger. It would be upon them in seconds. "Ayden," he hesitated slightly over her name. "What's going on?"  
  
"What's going on, Ayden?" Tasuki repeated with more strength, shaking her slightly. She saw him then, realized that Taitskun was indeed gone. Hotohori was still alive, and Trowa was no where near where she was. Despite the pain the last thought inflicted, she was nonetheless relieved that the scene she had suffered within her mind had not taken place anywhere other than there. But Trowa. Would he really do that? Was he really capable of such a thing? She remembered then something that had happened while they were still at the palace. Trowa, from atop a wall, had thrown a dagger, similar to the one she had caught in her vision, directly at the heart of the emperor. She barely restrained herself from breaking into sobs again. He could, and she would have to betray him to keep her warrior safe. Because. . .because she wasn't his partner anymore, but she was the priestess. Tasuki was depending on her; Hotohori was depending on her. Whatever her feelings for Trowa, they must be put behind the responsibilities she had now to the Beast God. Shaking her head, clearing from it the terrible images she had just witnessed, she pushed away from Tasuki to stand and scan their surroundings. At her feet, the fire bandit sighed in relief, and maybe a little pain as well.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Tasuki," she told him as she slowly turned to see in all directions. "I'll be more careful next time." He gave a confused sort of grunt.  
  
"So long as you're all right," he told her softly, giving a different grunt as he stood beside her. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that he could no longer stand straight, his side kept him hunched over slightly. Not a good position for fighting. He studied her curiously. "You are all right?"  
  
"Perfectly," her voice was cold, even to her own ears. Keep Trowa from your head, Ayden, focus only on Tasuki. Focus on the ones that really matter. The cold of the dagger felt comfortable in her wounded hand. Something was coming for them over the dunes, she could make it out in the falling darkness. Not Duo, it was moving too fast for that, but it was unmistakenly headed for them. She judged that they would not be able to outrun it with Tasuki in his condition. "We've got company," she informed him, knowing that he already knew. "Let's go greet it properly." Although she doubted that Tasuki understood her sudden change, it did not cause any hesitation on her part to begin a trek that would bring her towards whatever it was heading for them in the coming night.  
  
"Priestess!" Tasuki's voice faded away behind her, all her attention needed on what was at hand so that she could keep her mind from wandering back to what she had seen and heard. Trowa. Hotohori. She had accepted his proposal, meaning that it was part of the greatest desires of her heart. Taitskun had said so. But so was returning home with Trowa, in fact, that was the stronger of the two. Forget the boy. The words echoed coldly, shivering through her frame. She gripped the dagger tighter, tighter, until she could feel her blood dripping into the sand. I can't! Submit to the Beast God. But how? Don't be stupid, Ayden, came the underlying thought, the pulse of unidentified energy that had not left her with the vision. Focus on what you're doing. Don't be stupid.   
  
"Focus," she muttered in her head, bringing the dagger into position to be thrown. Dimly, so far away behind her that it was a wonder she heard it at all, came a gasp as Tasuki recognized what it was that flew for them. Cocking her head slightly, she could make it out as well. "A wolf?" What would a creature of the mountains be doing so far away from water and shelter? And why was it heading straight for them? Don't be stupid, Ayden. Don't try to rationalize. Go at it simple. It must be an enemy. Be it Kutou or just a simple beast out for blood, you still need to realize the opposition it entails in its jaws. Ayden paused on the sand, gathering her strength and readying her aim.  
  
Tasuki skidded to a halt, falling backward as he did so. His wound tore slightly, but it did not bring his attention from the spectacle before him. Ayden, no, the Priestess of Suzaku, stood a beacon against the twilight, shining with a scarlet flame. The blade in her hand glowed with an internal fire, and all about her blazed an inferno of power. Something had happened to her, he knew, something happened when she had been unconscious. Her mind had undergone something he could never understand, and it had given her power. The wolf, Duo's wolf, sprinted for her, but she stood calm and unafraid. Her aura amazed him, and he found he could do nothing but watch, held motionless to the spot in awe.  
  
With deadly precision, she raised her hand, her gaze steady on the beast. In another moment, she would let the dagger fly. And it would hit its mark, Tasuki knew that already. The wolf was dead.   
  
A sharp whistle cut through the twilight, followed by a high shriek of pain. Against his bandit's instincts, Tasuki winced to hear it, but quickly shifted his head so that he could see what had happened. He could make out the blood glow on the sand, steaming in the coolness of the coming night. But the wound wasn't right. Squinting, he took a few steps closer to Ayden, who radiated like the sunset. The dagger had not left her hand. It was an arrow that had pierced the wolf. . .in the flank.   
  
"Ayden, get down!" Tasuki commanded, dropping low himself and scanning the shadows of the dunes for the archer. There weren't many rocks to hide behind, but the velvet blackness of the sand. Could be anywhere. "Let's get off the hill," he whispered, reaching out a slightly shaking hand to tug at Ayden's shirt. Electricity jolted through his fingers, filtering heat up and down his body, numbing his side. His mouth opened in shock as Ayden turned her head to consider him. The glow, the light of Suzaku, had receded into her eyes.   
  
"Come on," Tasuki stuttered, not daring to touch her again. "Let's get out of the open." She favored him with a sarcastic smile at his remark. Everywhere was out in the open. Together they slid down the side of the hill that faced the mountain. Tasuki set a running pace, faster than he should have been able to move. Ayden placed a restraining hand on his arm to slow him.  
  
"Easy does it," she cautioned him, making him realize that the pain from the arrow wound had completely receded. They had to take advantage of the temporary relief to put as much distance between them and the injured wolf as possible. "We have time." He bowed his head close to her ear.  
  
"There are no archers among the warriors of Suzaku," he clipped. "The one who shot the wolf is not our friend. Let's go." Slipping out from under her arm, he struck up the sprint once more. Having no other choice, Ayden fell into step beside him.  
  
***  
  
Miboshi cursed violently as he knelt beside the wounded animal. Ashtare whined pathetically, hiding its face against Duo's knee. The injury had stopped bleeding, and would heal quickly.   
  
"I just saved your life," Miboshi informed his fellow warrior. "She would have done far worse to you than I have." Duo smiled within his mind. He had seen her, a beacon on the dune, shining with the scarlet fire of the deity. There was power in her, and she had somehow come across a way to control it, manipulate it to her will. And that meant that Miboshi had to take her more seriously than ever before. The wolf was no longer a match for her. And neither are you, Duo thought viciously.   
  
"There's no choice to it now," Miboshi spoke as if to the wolf, but Duo knew that he just enjoyed using Duo's mouth to form words and create sounds. "We'll have to wait until after she gets the scroll." Ah, but that was dangerous. She possessed a heightened awareness now. She had felt the energy of Suzaku, knew its fire, and that was sure to help her become one with her warriors. And you are not a warrior, Duo reminded the horror that inhabited his mind. How are you going to keep that from her now?  
  
"Her trust is already mine. She'll doubt herself before she disbelieves what your friend tells her." So you say, Duo grinned, feeling the sunburn on his own cheeks for the first time in many days. So you say. Miboshi was ready with a grin of his own.  
  
"I think we should backtrack. There won't be any stopping them since they're so close to the mountain." Which is somewhere you can't set foot, Duo reminded him, wishing desperately that the smile that curved his lips was really his. "Where we can't set foot," Miboshi corrected. "You're every bit as much a Seiryuu warrior as I am." That's what you think, Duo growled, forcing a burst of his clear laughter out of Miboshi. It echoed eerily over the dunes. "In any case," with tender hands Miboshi assisted the wolf off the sand. "We'll be needed back in Konan for the summoning ceremony. The palace seems a good a place as any to wait." Shifting to Ashtare's limping gait, Miboshi turned away from Taitskun's mountain.  
  
***  
"She made it," Heero murmured the words before he realized that he was speaking aloud. Yan-Yan gave him a half-surprised glance, shifting her chin upwards from where she'd buried her face against him. Chichiri lifted his head from his knees on the other side of the room to consider this sudden change in the silence. Heero met his eyes, nodding. "She's coming." For an instant he could see her, sprinting over the sand, her mouth open and fire in her eyes. They were running recklessly, fearlessly. A drop of sweat slid down Heero's face as the image played out before him.  
  
"Heero!" Chichiri was shaking his shoulder roughly, although Yan-Yan was looking more than pleased. "What's wrong?" Heero exchanged a quick look with the young girl as he stood up.  
  
"We're going to get them," he told the older man, his hands already secreting pieces of fruit into his clothing.   
  
  
They'd been running so long Ayden was now certain that the sun hadn't set properly, but had lodged itself in her lungs they burned so hard. Her throat was raw from her harsh breathing, and still Tasuki kept the pace, uphill and then sliding down the other side. Goosebumps shivered over her skin, responding to the cold of the dark, but even so the sting of sweat was in her eyes. And far below it, below everything, was that other burn, the intense heat of the Beast God, weighing her down. Dimly she was aware of her legs, still churning, still struggling to keep up with her fire haired warrior. They tripped her through the sand, sometimes with shoots of pain up through her knees when it got really deep. All along the mountain loomed, blocking out the stars, but never seeming to get any closer. One more step, Ayden. The words ran their cadence through her mind with such desperation that her lips had begun to form them as well. One more, and then another. Quicker now, Tasuki is pulling ahead. But I'm so tired, something whimpered, stinging her eyes with exhausted tears. If I were to slow to a walk for just a few steps, then I'd be able to catch up to him again. She lifted her drooping head, seeing Tasuki's back as she'd been watching it all night, except that it was getting farther and farther away from her. Her lips moved again, but she hadn't the breath left to call out to him to wait. Tasuki, I'm back here, turn around. The starlight faded in a questioning manner, and Ayden had only a little time to wonder why everything had grown so dark before she collapsed into the sand.  
  
***  
  
"Trowa? Are you all right, Trowa?" Trowa turned his head slowly to face the twin who had addressed him. Amiboshi. His young eyes were filled with question and concern, but Trowa could only nod in response. He felt all right, and yet there was something underneath that he couldn't put a name to. There was an ache in his leg, but that was undoubtedly because of a previous injury followed up with days on end of nothing but walking through ankle deep sand. There was also a loneliness clenching his heart, and he didn't even want to think about what had caused that. However, now that attention had been brought to the fact that something indeed was wrong, her image sped across his consciousness, with the glory of the sunrise on a spiderweb. Did she make it to the mountain, he wondered. Had the others met up with her by now?  
  
A hand grabbed his shoulder in warning, pulling him down. He instintively tensed against the touch, but did look around, trying to see what there was to alarm him of. Suboshi, his make-shift bandage only half concealing the arrow wound, was nodding his head towards the north where a black figure was staggering in their general direction. "What is it?" The twin asked, looking to Trowa for guidance and even protection. How Trowa wished that the boy's arm was strong enough for the sling he carried in his belt. Amiboshi slithered over to where they were crouched, his eyes gone hard and fierce.  
  
"A runaway?" He began, but Trowa shook his head. There was a familiarity in the grace of the personage's stagger. There was also something he knew in the black of the clothes. But if he was here, then where was Ayden?  
  
"It's Duo," Trowa told the twins even as he stood to raise a hand. "Oye, Duo!" The heat shimmering form dropped to its knees in apparent relief at finding them. It spurred Trowa into a fast trot over the scorching sand towards his fellow pilot.  
  
"Trowa," Duo gasped, licking his dry and cracked lips and reaching a hand upward towards his friend. "I'm so glad you're alive."  
  
"You look like you shouldn't be," Trowa responded, noticing the teeth marks and sunburn covering Duo's body. Amiboshi was there then with one of their last waterskins to hold to Duo's bleeding mouth. "What happened to Ayden?" There was a faint flash of fire in Duo's midnight blue eyes when her name was mentioned. It struck a chord of fear in Trowa. "Duo? Is she alive?"  
  
"Yes," Duo sighed as he lowered the skin, running his tongue once again over his lips to get every last drop of water he could. "She and Tasuki are close to the mountain by now."  
  
"You were with them?" Trowa was now on his knees beside the braided pilot, ignoring the burning heat beneath him. "For how long? How come you're not with her now?" Duo stared at Trowa for a moment as if he didn't understand a word he was saying. Then a flash of recognition crossed them and he began to speak again.  
  
"I was traveling with them," he finally said, his eyes blinking fast. "Until we were attacked ~" Trowa grabbed his shoulders, ignoring the wince he recived when he dug his hands too deeply into a wound.  
  
"Attacked! What happened?" Duo pulled Trowa's hands away from the cuts.  
  
"I said she's alive, calm down already. It was a wolf ~"  
  
"What's a wolf doing way out here?"  
  
"Are you gonna let me talk, or what?" Trowa lowered his head in shame. "I think it was a wolf from the Seiryuu camp, that's what it's doing out here."  
  
"That would exlain why it would attack the Priestess as well," Amiboshi chimed in, nodding at his own logic. Duo nodded his agreement.  
  
"Anyway," he went on, eyeing the waterskin that Amiboshi had taken from him. "I told them to go on while I took care of it, thinking that maybe I could give them a good headstart just in case I couldn't kill the thing." Trowa tensed, waiting for the outcome. "So Tasuki took her and they started running for the mountain. And, as you can see, I didn't do so well against the wolf."  
  
"Why didn't you use your gun, Duo?" Trowa asked, wondering why Duo would have gotten so badly injured when he could have taken care of the beast with one well-placed shot. Duo shook his head, sorrowful.  
  
"I lost my gun at the skirmish on the battle line," he admitted. Trowa ran a hand through his bangs. Now the enemy not only had a lot more man-power than Konan could ever hope to collect, but with a gun they wouldn't be long in figuring out exactly what was needed to make more. Before long, if they didn't act quickly, it'd be Heero's gun against all the Kutou army. Trowa almost shuddered at the thought, already wondering if he could use any of the bullets in Heavyarms for anything useful.  
  
"We've got to get that back," he muttered. "But you killed it?" Back to the orignal topic of conversation. Duo winced.  
  
"It's not going to make it back to its master, I don't think."  
  
"So you didn't kill it." Duo looked insulted.  
  
"I had nothing but my bare hands, man, what did you want me to do?" Trowa made a calming motion with his hand.  
  
"So long as Ayden got away all right." Duo opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but thought better of it after seeing the expression on Trowa's face. Trowa was by now looking off towards the east, hoping that Ayden had finally reached the stupid mobile mountain.  
  
"There's nothing you can do for her," Duo's hand found Trowa's shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze. "There's nothing any of us can do for her. She's got Tasuki and Heero, and that blue haired guy too. We might as well get ourselves back to the palace, right?"  
  
"Little problem with that," Trowa said, still gazing off east at the mountain range, any one, or none, of which could be hiding Ayden right now.   
  
"What's that?"  
  
"We don't know how to get there." 


End file.
